by GARY FONVILLE
Forgotten NY correspondent
This may be the first of a kind for FNY. Kevin Walsh and I have taken an untold number of pictures of signs that represented businesses that no longer exist. But has it has never been highlighted where the business’ name will or will not disappear, based on a merger, thereby possibly making the T-Mobile name and logo defunct. But it all depends. You may say “depend on what”? Based on history, when two entities merge, one of the companies’ names invariably disappears.
Since T-Mobile, America’s #3 in subscribers and Sprint, #4 in rankings have been in talks about merging, the Department of Justice and the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) have been trying to decide if the merger could proceed and not violate antitrust rules. However detractors of this corporate marriage argue that the merger reduces the number of major cellphone carriers from four to three: Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile/Sprint. In addition, according to naysayers, that scenario would reduce competition, thereby offering fewer options for consumers. FYI: Since Sprint’s corporate ancestors began many years ago, “Sprint” is an acronym for Southern Pacific Railroad Internal Networking Telecommunications.
Thus, this T-Mobile sign at “the Junction,” Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues, may soon demarcate a former company.
Check out the ForgottenBook, take a look at the gift shop, and as always, “comment…as you see fit.”
11/25/19
5 comments
Names aside, it’s a great location for a future microchip implant center when eyephones are all the rage!
In the beginning it was VoiceStream;
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=voicestream&view=detail&mid=4817B02EAF49D1EBACB14817B02EAF49D1EBACB1&FORM=VIRE
P.S. : My wife just reminded me that in the very beginning it was Omnipoint which became VoiceStream which then became T-Mobile & we were there from that very beginning (customer service representatives always thank us for being early adopters).
5G will be available all over in a few years. The Cable companies will be the next on the obsolescence stream.
Since T-Mobile’s network and Sprint’s network are largely incompatible, the merged entity may wind up keeping both names, a la Exxon Mobil