BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Un-carrier switches the switching game … again. Today, in a video blog T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) CEO John Legere announced that the Un-carrier is amping one of its original Un-carrier moves, Test Drive, unveiling a novel, simple way for everyone to try T-Mobile’s expanded network FREE before switching — you know, the way buying should be. With Test Drive, carrier customers can snag a free hotspot that connects to the network, including the Un-carrier’s newest, most powerful signal — 600 MHz — and try the network for up to 30 days … all while keeping their own phone, phone number and apps. Zero cost. Zero hassle.
Wireless is one of the only industries that forces consumers to buy before they try. And it’s messed up. Wireless customers are forced to go through the time, pain and expense of switching, just to cross their fingers and hope the network works for them where they need it. With Test Drive, T-Mobile takes on the broken carrier practice of forcing customers to buy before they try and calls on the rest of the wireless industry to follow the Un-carrier’s lead.
“Of course, the carriers can’t even get something as simple as ‘try before you buy’ right. They want you to trade in your phone, transfer your life to a new one and burn an entire day switching … just to hope their network works for you. It’s arrogant, it’s broken and it’s time for backwards-buying to end,” said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile. “Our network is open for anyone to try because we have nothing to hide — can your carrier say that? At T-Mobile, the strength of our network speaks for itself … we’re so confident in it, we’re giving people a free 30-day test drive.”
In addition to inviting people for a free trial, T-Mobile is rolling out a new campaign to illustrate just how far its newest, most powerful signal, 600 MHz, reaches (hint: it’s farther than ever before). And the Un-carrier network is expanding every day, powered by 600 MHz, which is only available from T-Mobile. 600 MHz signals go twice as far from the tower and work four times better in buildings than mid-band signals. So, T-Mobile can provide better coverage in rural areas, hard-to-reach places and deep inside buildings. This is the same signal that will form the foundation for T-Mobile’s future nationwide 5G network.
In just the last three years, the Un-carrier has made unprecedented investments in people and technology, delivering performance that’s neck-and-neck with Verizon and AT&T. To do this, T-Mobile has:
- Added 1 million square miles of new LTE coverage — that’s bigger than all 26 states east of the Mississippi River — bringing much-needed connectivity and competition to many places where there was none
- Added more than 25,000 towers and cell sites
- Hired more than 3,000 full time engineers and employing thousands more tower climbers, foremen, electricians and others who build out the network
- Upgraded every single LTE cell site to deliver LTE-Advanced across the entirety of the network, boosting speeds and enhancing performance
- Spent nearly $30 billion to build out the network, including $7.99 billion to purchase 600 MHz airwaves — the company’s largest investment ever — covering 100% of the U.S.
T-Mobile now covers 326 million people with LTE — that’s 99% of Americans. And, while data traffic on the network has more than tripled since 2016, LTE download speeds are 60% faster today. That’s like going 60% faster with more than three times as many cars on the highway!
Suffice it to say, if you haven’t tried T-Mobile lately, you haven’t tried T-Mobile. More customers are coming to T-Mobile and staying than ever before. In fact, customer retention hit all-time record levels — and ranked among the best in the wireless industry — in the last six months! The Un-carrier has added more than 1 million new customers for the 25th straight quarter and has consistently been ranked #1 by J.D. Power for both purchase experience and customer care, four times in a row.
If Test Drive sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Back in 2014, Un-carrier 5.0 pioneered a new way to buy wireless, letting people try T-Mobile’s network for free. But that meant carrying around a second phone with a second phone number, and people were limited to a seven-day trial. With today’s amped Test Drive, keep your phone, your number and your apps and try T-Mobile’s new LTE network for a full 30 days. It couldn’t be easier.
In fact, here’s how easy it is:
- Sign up for T-Mobile Test Drive at www.t-mobile.com/testdrive. T-Mobile will send carrier customers a Coolpad Surf Device hotspot. For free.
- Turn on the hotspot, and it’ll connect to T-Mobile’s LTE network, and connect your Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, Xfinity Mobile or any carrier smartphone to it via Wi-Fi.
- Experience T-Mobile’s data coverage for up to 30 days or 30 GB, whichever comes first.
After the trial, drop the hotspot off at any T-Mobile store or hand it off to a friend. Hell, put it under that wobbly table leg. That’s it.
This is how wireless should be. T-Mobile will spark the change — as usual — and call on the carriers to follow its lead (again), to put customers first, and to end this arrogant, backwards industry practice that keeps customers locked in and gambling on network coverage.
For more information on Test Drive, see www.t-mobile.com/news/testdrive. To join the conversation on Twitter, tweet @T-Mobile and use the hashtag #TryBeforeYouBuy. For more information on T-Mobile’s expanded LTE coverage, visit www.t-mobile.com/coverage.
Limited time offer; subject to change; while supplies last. Non-T-Mobile customers only; 1 trial/user. Compatible device req'd. Data access for 30 days or 30GB, whichever is earlier; includes 200MB roaming. Your non-T-Mobile rate plan terms also apply. You may need to upgrade when you switch to get full coverage; coverage not available in some areas. Not for international use.
About T-Mobile US, Inc.
As America's Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services through leading product and service innovation. Our advanced nationwide 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences to 83.1 million customers who are unwilling to compromise on quality and value. Based in Bellevue, Washington, T-Mobile US provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile. For more information, please visit http://www.t-mobile.com.
