T-Mobile's origin dates to Cold War Germany. Originally known as Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile started selling its first phone in 1985. Today, the company has expanded to be a leading cellular company in Europe and the United States.
History
T-Mobile came to the American market by purchasing VoiceStream Wireless, which was a company formed by the mergers of General Cellular, Pacific Northwest Cellular and Western Wireless.
History
VoiceStream Wireless changed its name to T-Mobile USA in 2002 and began servicing California and Nevada.
Significance
In 2004, T-Mobile launched its HotSpots program, which allowed customers to start using the Internet from a variety of locations. Within a year, there were 18,000 HotSpot locations in 20 countries.
Significance
In an effort to expand its customer base, T-Mobile signed partnership agreements with the NBA and WNBA in 2005.
Significance
In 2006, the Federal Communications Commission gave T-Mobile 120 spectrum licenses across the United States. This allowed the company to start installing 3G networks.
Size
Today, T-Mobile has 101 million subscribers, making it the sixth-largest cell phone provider in the world.
Tags: United States, VoiceStream Wireless
