According to AT&T exec John Stankey, the long-suffering cities of San Francisco, New York and Chicago will see the number of available cell sites increase up to 45 per cent. Sure, they’ll be cutting some “redundant” cell sites, but one of the first steps in the proposed merger would be to dual-band sites in major urban areas so that customers from both carriers can benefit. Sweet relief! But how long will it take?
Stankey said that in certain markets you’ll see the improvements within a year of the deal closing and that everyone will see the benefits within two years of close. Any corporate combination of this magnitude is bound to hit some regulatory roadblocks, so don’t hold your breath. And honestly, by the time all of these gears are finally in motion, it’s not like Verizon and Sprint are going to let their 4G advantage go to waste. [AT&T]