Verizon signed a $1 billion fiber deal with Google to deliver high-speed, reliable connectivity to Google data centers—part of a broader push into AI-era infrastructure. CEO Dan Schulman says more deals will be announced by the end of 2026, totaling “multiple billions” in revenue over the next several years. Verizon also reported mixed consumer broadband momentum: 193K new fixed wireless subs (6.2M total) vs 155K new fiber subs (10.9M total).

Total Wireless is advertising unlimited 5G for $25/month, plus promotions that include free home internet and free phones for eligible customers. For dealers, this is a strong “bill drop” pitch for price-sensitive families—especially anyone frustrated by postpaid increases. The win is qualifying correctly (lines, autopay, port-in, device requirements) and attaching accessories, setup, and backup connectivity so the customer leaves fully equipped.

T-Mobile’s Q2 earnings showed softer growth and higher churn: 277,000 postpaid net account additions (down 13% YoY) and postpaid churn rising to 0.99%. ARPA rose 2% to $152.91 across 34.7M postpaid accounts. The report also highlights growing friction from T-Mobile’s digital-first push—starting Aug. 1, upgrades and add-a-lines must be processed through the T-Life app. Dealers can use this moment to run retention “bill + experience” audits and win switch-ins from frustrated cu

T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile just rolled out back-to-school promos for families—from 50% off the SyncUP Kids Watch 2 and a free Revvl Tab 2 with a new tablet line, to free flagship phones with new lines (and trade-ins), watch deals, and home internet offers. Metro is pushing aggressive port-in deals including a free Galaxy A17 5G or iPhone 16e (with plan requirements). Dealers can win by matching the right student “use case” to the right line, device, and protection bundle.

The FCC’s “fourth facilities-based carrier” plan is effectively over. A federal judge approved the DOJ request to release EchoStar from its commitment to build and operate a nationwide mobile network inherited from Dish. After selling major spectrum blocks to AT&T and SpaceX, Boost Mobile is now positioned as a hybrid MVNO—running its own cloud-native core while primarily using AT&T’s towers, with T-Mobile coverage as fallback.

A federal judge denied AT&T’s bid to block California’s Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) rules—meaning AT&T must keep offering “basic” phone service in the state while the case continues. AT&T says it spends $1B/year maintaining an aging copper network; California says the rules are tech-neutral and AT&T can meet obligations via fiber, wireless, or VoIP. Dealers should prepare for home phone migrations ahead of June 1, 2027.

T-Mobile’s forced plan migrations are triggering real sticker shock for longtime customers—some say bills jumped from under $50 to $200–$300. A reader poll shows 62% plan to leave immediately. For dealers, this is a prime moment to run plan audits, prevent churn with “stay” options, and capture switchers with MVNO and prepaid alternatives.

New nationwide speed and performance testing for the first half of 2026 shows the Big 3 are all strong—just in different categories. Verizon and AT&T are tied for overall performance, network reliability, and text performance, while Verizon leads responsiveness, data, and video performance outright. T-Mobile remains the 5G availability leader and continues to post top-tier download speeds across most major cities.

Dealer quick take: This is a “bill shock” moment. Customers aren’t mad about a small increase—they’re mad about surprise changes: free lines turning paid and add-ons being switched on. The dealer opportunity is simple: be the person who audits the account, removes junk charges, and gives them a clear next step. What customers say they’re losing (beyond the rate hike) As T-Mobile migrates customers from older plans to newer ones, some subscribers report that the cost increase

JD Power’s 2026 U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Study reports a record-low 8 problems per 100 interactions (PP100), with network quality improving nationwide. Verizon led three of six regions (Mid-Atlantic, North Central, Southeast), while T-Mobile led the Southwest and tied with Verizon in the Northeast and West. RootMetrics also showed Verizon winning responsiveness, data, and video—fueling a “Verizon comeback” narrative and raising questions about how T-Mobile di

T-Mobile is offering another physical T‑Mobile Tuesdays freebie: a minimalist tumbler (magenta or white) with a straw and spill‑resistant lid, available for pickup at T‑Mobile-owned stores today. Customers must save the offer in the T‑Life app and redeem in-store, with limited stock expected. For dealers, this is a predictable foot-traffic spike—perfect for accessory bundles, quick device checkups, and “bill clarity” conversations.

Vouch Mobile launched as a new prepaid brand offering two “unlimited” plans with annual pricing discounts, eSIM activation, and service enabled through the Reach MVNE platform. The entry plan is advertised from $22/mo with annual billing (listed as $270/yr), and a higher tier is advertised from $30/mo annually ($360/yr). But the launch has confusing fine print: network claims appear inconsistent, taxes/fees may not be fully included, and data allotments conflict.

T-Mobile is reportedly retiring more grandfathered plans—some nearly 15 years old—and shifting customers to newer plans that may include price changes. A poll shows most respondents say they’d switch providers, while smaller groups would accept the new plan or research a better option within T-Mobile. Dealers can win by leading with a plan audit, explaining “price guarantee” realities, and offering a clean stay-or-switch path.

An Ookla report comparing 86 operators in 22 markets says the Big Three US carriers aren’t ready for next‑gen AI experiences—mainly due to latency under load and weak upload performance. T‑Mobile leads in the US (median upload ~13.94 Mbps) ahead of Verizon (~13.43 Mbps) and AT&T (~9.0 Mbps), but no market hits the sub‑10 ms latency needed for AR/multimodal AI. Dealers should reframe “5G speed” into real-world AI use cases.

A report details T-Mobile’s “Experience” migration plans for legacy customers, including plan tiers, perks, and pricing ahead of July 13 changes.

T-Mobile is officially retiring its 2G GSM network on August 3, 2026. Most customers won’t notice—but anyone using very old phones, certain legacy IoT devices, or older international devices without VoLTE could lose service. Dealers should run a quick “network readiness” check, offer low-cost upgrade paths, and position paid setup/data transfer as a simple, same-day fix.

A new rumor says many T-Mobile third-party authorized retailer (TPR) locations could close as soon as July 1, as the carrier accelerates its “digital native” strategy and pushes customers into the T-Life app. Corporate-owned retail (COR) stores may be spared this round, and one dealer is reportedly closing 100+ locations with financial incentives from T-Mobile. Dealers should prepare for customer confusion, increased foot traffic at remaining stores, and a bigger shift toward

Verizon is being removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average and replaced by Google parent Alphabet at the opening bell Monday, June 29. Because the Dow is price-weighted, Alphabet’s higher share price gives it more influence, and Dow-tracking funds will sell Verizon and buy Alphabet. For dealers, this isn’t about day-to-day network performance—it’s a headline signal that Wall Street is prioritizing AI, cloud computing, and mobile advertising over legacy telecom in “market

A customer says Verizon AI customer service made it hard to reach a human after a $500 billing mistake disconnected service. Dealer save-play inside.

T-Mobile addressed concerns about “AI cameras” in its retail stores, saying it does not use facial recognition, microphone-enabled cameras, or Flock products. The carrier says it’s simply upgrading to modern cameras comparable to consumer doorbell cams as part of standard lifecycle management to improve safety and security. Dealers should be ready with a simple privacy-first explanation and a calm in-store script.