Jon Freier, President of T-Mobile's Consumer Group, shared key insights about the carrier’s evolving strategy and network performance during the Wells Fargo TMT (Technology, Media, and Telecommunications) summit on Tuesday. Freier emphasized T-Mobile’s digital transformation efforts, the growing success of its T-Life app, network superiority claims, and upcoming integrations with UScellular customers as the carrier aims to strengthen its position in the U.S. wireless market.
Driving Digital Transformation with the T-Life App
According to Freier, T-Mobile is focused more on enhancing customer experience than just cutting costs through digitization. The T-Life app has become a central part of this effort, boasting 85 million downloads and over 20 million active monthly users. Currently, two-thirds of T-Mobile’s upgrades take place via the app, highlighting its growing importance for managing accounts and customer engagement.
Marketing the Best Network in the U.S.
Freier talked about T-Mobile’s recent advertising campaigns featuring spokesman Billy Bob Thornton, which emphasize that T-Mobile now holds the title of the best mobile network in the United States according to third-party 5G testing. He acknowledged the company’s challenges in the past but stressed the significant improvements that have transformed T-Mobile’s network, making it a key driver for attracting customers who are considering switching carriers.
Integration with UScellular and Expansion Plans
The carrier has begun integrating UScellular’s network with its own to improve coverage and performance for customers of both networks. Freier revealed plans to migrate UScellular subscribers to T-Mobile starting next year in a "big way," signaling a major expansion move that will bolster T-Mobile’s footprint.
Holiday Promotions and Customer Trends
Freier, a veteran of 32 fourth quarters in the wireless industry, teased upcoming "big headline offers" for the holiday season that aim to drive store traffic and entice new subscribers, though he did not disclose specific deals. He also pointed out that the majority of new customers are opting for premium plans, reflecting strong consumer demand and the company's momentum heading into the fourth quarter, with an updated forecast of 3.3 million net new postpaid phone subscribers.
Building America’s Top Network
Recapping T-Mobile’s rise, Freier credited spectrum acquisitions — including the 600 MHz incentive auction and the Sprint merger which added valuable 2.5 GHz spectrum — for enabling the company to develop a leading network. He sees a major opportunity ahead in convincing customers who previously chose AT&T or Verizon for their networks to switch to T-Mobile, which now claims the best coverage and performance nationwide.
"AT&T and Verizon combined serve over 200 million customers," Freier said, "but with the best network now in T-Mobile’s hands, we have a tremendous chance to win many of those customers over."
