One of the most common questions we saw from T-Mobile subscribers when AT&T announced its plans to acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 billion was perhaps also the most obvious: what happens to my rate plan? T-Mobile is widely known for its aggressive service pricing while its potential acquirer, AT&T, is not. The question isn’t only on the minds of consumers, either. The United States Department of Justice is suing to block the merger and in its filing, the DOJ states, “AT&T’s elimination of T-Mobile as an independent, low- priced rival would remove a significant competitive force from the market.” According to a purported internal document obtained by TmoNews, T-Mobile customers will be able to keep their service plans indefinitely should AT&T’s acquisition of the carrier proceed. “T-Mobile customers will be able to keep their rate plans,” the internal FAQ reads. “They will be able to do so for as long as they want to, even when their terms end and the service continues on a month-to-moth basis.” The wording suggests that T-Mobile customers will be out of luck if they want to purchase a new subsidized phone under contract, however, though it does not state explicitly that new contracts will require customers to switch to a standard AT&T rate plan.
