T-Mobile International is the first mobile communications company to offer service on both sides of the Atlantic with a single global brand name and a single digital technology standard, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), offering customers the advantage of using their wireless services when traveling worldwide
The T-Mobile global brand
name made its debut in the United States in July 2002,
choosing California and Nevada as the first markets in the
country to launch its wireless voice and data services. The
company successfully transitioned its VoiceStream Wireless
brand in its remaining markets in September 2002 and now
operates a GSM/GPRS 1900 MHz voice and data network,
reaching more than 260 million people including roaming and
other agreements exclusively under the T-Mobile brand name.
T-Mobile and its affiliates own licenses to provide service
to 95 percent of the U.S. population
T-Mobile operates an all-digital, national wireless network based exclusively on GSM technology. GSM is the most widely used digital standard worldwide, accounting for approximately 74 percent of the total digital wireless market. T-Mobile customers benefit from this global technology platform by having the choice to use their same phone and same phone number when traveling internationally. Consistent with T-Mobile's Get MoreŽ promise, T-Mobile's WorldClass roaming rates begin at only 99 cents a minute in approximately 30 European countries and cover more than 182 countries worldwide
Through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) auctions of broadband PCS licenses in 1995, 1997 and 1999, Western Wireless Corp. acquired PCS licenses through its VoiceStream Wireless subsidiary. Western Wireless, based in Bellevue, Wash., was formed in 1994 through the merger of General Cellular Corp. and Pacific Northwest Cellular, both led by John W. Stanton. Stanton, also a co-founder of McCaw Cellular Communications, is regarded as a leader and visionary in the wireless industry
VoiceStream launched the first auctioned PCS license in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Feb. 29, 1996, and continued to aggressively build out its PCS licenses in the western United States, based on the GSM technology platform
On May 3, 1999, VoiceStream Wireless was spun off from its parent company, Western Wireless. In February and May 2000, VoiceStream completed merger transactions with two other regional GSM service providers, Omnipoint Communications and Aerial Communications. VoiceStream fully integrated the three companies by the end of 2000, converting to a single customer billing platform, implementing standard business practices, and successfully launching the VoiceStream Wireless brand name and Get MoreŽ value proposition in all markets including New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Tampa and Detroit
On May 31, 2001, Deutsche
Telekom AG, (NYSE:DT) based in Bonn, Germany, completed its
acquisitions of VoiceStream Wireless Corp. and Powertel
Inc., adding a U.S. member to its mobile telecommunications
subsidiary, T-Mobile International. In April 2002, T-Mobile
International began bringing its family of companies
together under the T-Mobile global brand name exclusively.
This initiative culminated September 3, 2002 with the final
transition of the VoiceStream brand name to T-Mobile across
the United States. T-Mobile International is now the first
and only mobile communications company to offer service on
both sides of the Atlantic with a single global brand name
and a single digital technology standard, GSM
By Q2 2005, about 80 million customers were served in nine T-Mobile markets in Europe and the United States, making it one of the top three global wireless carriers