American telecom network operator T-Mobile announced free 2G service to AT&T’s IoT customers through the end of the year.
This follows AT&T’s decision to shut down its 2G network at the end of 2016 – leaving AT&T IoT customers stranded without wireless connectivity or facing costly upgrades. T-Mobile aims to add customer base to its existing 67.4 million customers.
Based in Bellevue, Washington, T-Mobile said AT&T’s IoT customers can switch to T-Mobile and get free 2G service through the end of the year. T-Mobile promises free SIMs and a smooth transition to T-Mobile network.
The Un-carrier has committed to support its 2G network through 2020, thanks to optimization of the 2G GSM network. “By tuning the amount of spectrum to the needs of 2G M2M connections, we allow older GSM devices to work alongside more advanced LTE devices on America’s most advanced network,” said T-Mobile.
T-Mobile offers
# AT&T IoT customers can get free 2G service up to 50 MB per device per month
# Free SIMs, if needed, to make the transition to T-Mobile’s 2G network
T-Mobile said its network covers nearly 312 million people and is the nation’s fastest growing LTE network.
T-Mobile said migrating technologies can be expensive and include deploying skilled repair teams to swap out installed devices for LTE modules, which can cost $50 to $200 per device and up to $300 per truck roll.
T-Mobile said those costs might not be right for every business today, so that’s why T-Mobile will continue to support its nationwide 2G network through 2020, and is giving AT&T’s stranded IoT customers a better path forward.
