Minnesota T-Mobile customers are sharply divided over AT&T's planned $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile USA, which would push AT&T past its largest rival, Verizon Wireless, to become the biggest U.S. cell phone company.
The deal would eliminate T-Mobile, known as a low-price competitor among the top four cell phone companies, leaving Verizon as a close No. 2 and Sprint as a distant No. 3.
That worries Kory Lasker of Woodbury, who believes his T-Mobile smart phone service will get more expensive under AT&T.
"I pay attention to prices, and T-Mobile is the least expensive provider available and has excellent customer service," said Lasker, who has a family plan with five phones and four data plans. "I don't see why prices wouldn't go up. AT&T's prices certainly aren't going to fall to T-Mobile's level."
The pending merger, which regulators say could take a year to be cleared by government regulators, creates a host of challenges for the companies and their 130 million subscribers.
The companies use different wireless frequencies, which means T-Mobile customers eventually would have to replace their phones. Some experts say the deal is the biggest antitrust challenge to face the Obama administration.
But Sahar Amini of Minneapolis says she can't wait to become an AT&T customer.
"I hate T-Mobile because of their customer service," said Amini, who now has T-Mobile service through her mother's plan. "From what I've heard, AT&T is better."