T-Mobile to Expand 'Un-Carrier 4.0' Initiative, Offer Switch Incentives to U.S. Cellular, Regional Customers

T-Mobile will expand its recently introduced "Un-Carrier 4.0" initiative, which saw the company offering to pay up to $350 in early termination fees for Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T customers who switched to T-Mobile. As part of the expansion, first detailed by Re/code, T-Mobile will pay the same contract termination fees for customers currently with U.S. Cellular and a dozen other small regional carriers.

T-Mobile also has plans to entice additional customers by accepting a larger number of handsets for trade-in, including damaged phones, albeit for a lower trade-in credit.

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"This is not just a promotion," T-Mobile marketing chief Mike Sievert told Re/code on Thursday. "What we are trying to do is bring an end to unfair one-way onerous contracts in this country."

First unveiled last week, T-Mobile's early termination deal pays up to $350 per line in fees for individuals and families with up to five lines who switch from their current carriers and trade in their phones to T-Mobile.

Under the terms of the program, customers have to leave their current carriers, trade in existing phones (T-Mobile offers up to $300 per trade-in), sign up for a new T-Mobile plan and port a phone number. After the above qualifications are met, customers can send the final bill from their previous carrier (with termination fees listed) to T-Mobile for reimbursement via prepaid MasterCard.

According to T-Mobile, upwards of 80,000 "break-up" letters have been shared on social media sites in the last week by customers leaving their carriers for T-Mobile and signups have increased as a result of the program.

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Top Rated Comments

yeah Avatar
150 months ago
Innovating and kicking the other carriers' butts, one T-Mobile event at a time. :D
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mtneer Avatar
150 months ago
Thats the only thing stopping me; especially since AT&T unlocks iPhones after contract terms/ETF are paid. I'd have a perfectly functional phone since the 5S is GSM universal, but TMO won't let me use it :(

Why not sell the now unlocked AT&T 5S and get T-Mobile's 5S which they require you to get??
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rhyno37 Avatar
150 months ago
If Tmobile just had better coverage in rural areas they'd have me sold. Verizon and US Cellular are about the only carrier's around here with decent speeds.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bran0216 Avatar
150 months ago
This is genius on T-Mobile's part. All 6 people on my plan are switching ASAP. See ya Sprint! The company that doesn't believe in coverage at one of the most popular tourist attraction in the country. (Central Florida)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alent1234 Avatar
150 months ago
T-mo has the 5s
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alent1234 Avatar
150 months ago
Actually, it's more like the really quick-witted "cool" kid on the playground. Everybody laughs with him because he's so smart and clever, but he then gets his @$$ kicked b/c he has nothing to back it up.

T-Mobile can come up with all of the clever tactics in the world, but the fact that their cell coverage and data speeds are so laughably horrible in many areas trumps any marketing ploy they could ever concoct.

enough people live in the well covered areas that we don't care

that's why T-mo is cheaper, they only serve the more populated areas
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)