Image of early Candlestick Phone

The Telecom Digest
Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Image of Modern Desktop Phone
Copyright © 2023 E. William Horne. All Rights Reserved.
Volume 42 Table of Contents Issue 24
T-Mobile Hacked For The Eighth Time In Five Years
T-Mobile eyeing Mint Mobile as acquisition target: report
Status of Copper Based Landline Telephones
Message-ID: <tqnk6g$3vpjb$1@dont-email.me> Date: 23 Jan 2023 22:44:16 -0500 From: "Bill Horne" <malassimQRMilation@gmail.com> Subject: T-Mobile Hacked For The Eighth Time In Five Years From the zero-accountability dept Mon, Jan 23rd 2023 By Karl Bode T-Mobile hasn’t been what you’d call competent when it comes to protecting its customers’ data. The company has now been hacked numerous times just since 2018, with hackers at one point going so far as to publicly ridicule the company’s lousy security practices. Case in point: T-Mobile just revealed in an SEC filing (spotted by TechCrunch) that the company was just hacked for the eighth time in five years. This time impacting the privacy and security of 37 million T-Mobile subscribers. https://www.techdirt.com/2023/01/23/t-mobile-hacked-eighth-time-in-five-years/ -- (Please remove QRM for direct replies)
Message-ID: <nIBzL.262249$gGD7.197460@fx11.iad> Date: 23 Jan 2023 15:01:24 -0500 From: "Michael Trew" <michael.trew@att.net> Subject: Re: T-Mobile eyeing Mint Mobile as acquisition target: report On 1/19/2023 8:33, Bill Horne wrote: > By Monica Alleven > > Is T-Mobile considering an acquisition of Mint Mobile, the > budget-focused MVNO backed by actor Ryan Reynolds? > > Bloomberg reported that T-Mobile is considering an acquisition of Mint > Mobile, the MVNO backed by actor Ryan Reynolds. > https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/t-mobile-eyeing-mint-mobile-acquisition-target-report
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Moderator's Note

I was under the impression that Mint was already part of T-Mobile - that it was T-Mobile’s low-end brand, made to compete with Consumer Cellular for Senior users.

Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.

Bill Horne
No, Mint Mobile is an independent MVNO, which operates off of both T-Mobile's network. I think it was split from Ultra Mobile, which is also an independent MVNO, running from T-Mobile towers. T-Mobile owns Metro PCS; perhaps that's what you are thinking of?
Message-ID: <alpine.LRH.2.21.2301231209360.19200@bigone.uneedus.com> Date: 23 Jan 2023 12:31:25 -0500 From: Albert Erdmann <telecom-digest@remove-this.bbwx.net> Subject: Status of Copper Based Landline Telephones The great sunset date by the FCC for Landlines has come and gone, and my 2 landlines at 2 different locations are at this time are still operating. I have had a recent pair change done on one of the lines, and the tech told me he knew of no plans to force retirement at this time. My understanding is that carriers may continue to sell Copper Based Landlines, but are no longer required to do so by the FCC. In fact based on my experence, AT&T in the old Bellsouth region is not only offering Copper Based landlines including mine, but in fact has a website where you can still order one today. Is anyone aware of any tracking of this issue anywhere on the internet? I read a lot of issues of Telecom Digest around the sunset date, but it appears that analog retirement has not really been covered here. I have been investigating alternatives which do not require internet access to work. I am trying a 4G router, specifically a Yeacomm P21, that has an available RJ11 that is able to place and receive calls on a standard landline phone using a mobile network. Does anyone else have any other ideas? At one time even AT&T had a similar box, and Verizon tried to migrate Hurricane Sandy people whose lines were damaged over to such a box but ended up putting in fiber to replace the damaged copper lines. Considering the so called "sunset", I have seen very little promotion of any such boxes. I am thinking about the many lines used for fire alarm and elevator emergency phones. Any idea what building owners are doing in this regard?
End of The Telecom Digest for Tue, 24 Jan 2023
Helpful Links
Telecom Digest Archives The Telecom Digest FAQ