T-Mobile has been running ads that poke fun at AT&T’s network, claiming that it’s a 3G network (hence slower) trying to disguise itself as something else. A sleek young woman (representing T-Mobile) watches as one man (representing AT&T) carries another piggyback. The implication: AT&T’s network slows you down.
Getting a better product might be a plus in the merger, says Tardiff. But at the same time, he points out, the proposed merger eliminates a technology competitor.