Is AT&T network now larger than Verizon after the Cricket purchase?

[Josh177]

I'm sure most of you have heard that AT&T just recently bought Leap wireless (better know as Cricket) in summer of 2013. Yet it was awating FCC approval -- and the FCC just approved it yesterday. So now AT&T owns Cricket. AT&T is suppose to convert the cricket towers over to GSM. Cricket is larger than most people think, it was nation-wide and covered almost 100 million people. Now AT&T owns all their towers, and all that extra Spectrum.....I'm thinking this makes AT&T now larger than Verizon (network wise).

Here's the thing: Verizon and AT&T are basically tied when it comes to network coverage (talking voice + data), but now with AT&T buying Cricket and gaining all those extra towers and spectrum, does this make AT&T officially the bigger network now? Here's why I ask: because Cricket covers 97 million people with it's CDMA nation-wide network, and AT&T now owns all those towers and spectrum. Yeah, I'm sure a lot of those 97 million people where covered under roaming partners, but I'm sure Cricket still had LOTS of "native towers" -- and now AT&T owns all of Crickets native towers and lots of extra spectrum. Also, AT&T still has to convert the towers from CDMA to GSM, but once they do (they said around 6 months), won't that mean that once AT&T does convert all the Cricket towers over to AT&T in approx 6 months, won't that now mean that AT&T has officially become bigger than Verizon? Again I'm just talking pure network size of voice + data. This purchase of Cricket should mean that AT&T network just got "decently bigger", and since AT&T and Verizon where nearly tied when it came to overall network coverage in voice and data, with AT&T'S new purchase of Cricket wouldn't that put AT&T ahead of Verizon in terms of overall network size?

Quote from one article I read (this is just about spectrum gained from the Cricket purchase)
"Leap's spectrum holdings, which land in the PCS and AWS bands covering 137 million people, now purchased by AT&T. In all, Leap wirless (Cricket) owns AWS spectrum in 100 markets, spectrum that AT&T can turn into extra LTE capacity relatively quickly."

 

[cgardnervt]

Good question but I'd focus more on what yor needs are rather than who has the largest network....I mean even if they did and the coverage sucked in my area I wouldn't care! However I like att and I think they have a GREAT coverage map for the prices they are asking. Plus the trend with them has been great lately....Slashing prices!

 

[Josh177]

Yeah, I know, but I just wanted to know for "clarifcation purposes". Verizon always claims they have the largest network, and AT&T will claim the same, but now is it officially true that AT&T does for a fact have a larger network than Verizon? I mean Crickets network was a pretty decently sized network, and now AT&T owns all those extra cricket towers, extra Cricket spectrum, extra cricket tower equipment, etc, etc. Once AT&T converts all the Cricket towers over from CDMA over to AT&T'S GSM network, then I believe that should make AT&T larger than Verizon.

Also, this should help my benefit me or most AT&T customers. This is because AT&T just gained a whole lot of spectrum and towers, and AT&T is suppose to convert Crickets tower over to GSM, which more towers = less congestion, more signal, etc. Cricket had lots of towers, so AT&T's network's coverage should improve all over the nation!! ALSO, the spectrum gained from this merger/purchase gives AT&T more spectrum for it's LTE network, and once it's converts Cricket towers over to GSM, those newly owned AT&T towers will provide 4G LTE service. So let's say Cricket's "native" network owned 500 towers total (just an example). Now AT&T owns all those 500 towers, and AT&T said they are going to convert those extra towers to 4G LTE and of course extra voice coverage (in this example, 500 extra towers nationwide) over to AT&T GSM network, and also use the spetrum to improve LTE speeds, less congestion, etc, etc. Now: by adding a whooping EXTRA 500 towers to the AT&T network, this should make them by far the largest wireless carrier, right? I mean if AT&T just gained a whooping 500 EXTRA towers onto it's network, PLUS they gained PCS and AWS spectrum in over 100 different markets, well, that's A LOT!! (Again the 500 towers was just for example purposes ONLY). The spectrum though is correct, AT&T from buying Cricket did gain PCS and AWS spectrum in 100 different markets nationwide, which covers over 137 million people!!! So the extra spectrum AT&T gained alone from buying Cricket covers 137 million Americans -- that's a lot of spectrum that can be used for more LTE coverage, better LTE coverage, and it's 20X20 LTE...

I dunno, but it seems like this deal MAY have just made AT&T the larger carrier, and possibly the BETTER carrier due to all the extra spectrum AT&T gained. We'll have to wait about 6 months for the results though.

 

[300part2]

Good thanks