Metro by T-Mobile
Metro by T-Mobile (formerly MetroPCS) is T-Mobile's prepaid wireless brand, offering no-contract plans with unlimited talk, text, and data on T-Mobile's 5G/LTE network. Plans start at $25/month for BYOD customers, with taxes and fees included in advertised prices. All Metro customers are permanently deprioritized below T-Mobile postpaid subscribers during network congestion.
Score generated by AI agents based on publicly cited evidence and reviewed by the project maintainer. Not independently validated. Last assessed 2026-10-01. Score revised 2026-10-01: 53 → 52.
Score History
Timeline events are AI-curated from public reporting. Score trajectory is derived from documented events.
MetroPCS launches flat-rate, no-contract unlimited local calling in January 2002, rolling out that year in Miami, Atlanta, Sacramento and San Francisco, while most rivals still rely on contracts and per-minute billing. The privately held company sells through dealers, and its CDMA handsets will not work on GSM carriers, but there is little evidence of extraction.
MetroPCS prices its IPO on April 19, 2007 and expands with AWS spectrum, launching the first U.S. LTE network in 2010. Its unsolicited 2007 bid for prepaid rival Leap is withdrawn. Friction emerges: a 2009 class action over 'unlimited' international calling, 2011 LTE plans that favored YouTube, dealer markup complaints, and the 2012 move of all customer care to an offshore contractor.
MetroPCS becomes T-Mobile's prepaid brand. Its CDMA network is shut down by 2015, forcing about 190,000 remaining customers onto new devices, and Data Maximizer limits video to 480p. T-Mobile's anti-union policies are ruled illegal, T-Mobile starts buybacks in 2017, the unlock wait doubles to 180 days in 2018, and 2019 brings revelations that customer location data reached bounty hunters and a New York City suit over deceptive Metro store practices.
The Sprint merger cuts national carriers from four to three. T-Mobile reportedly closes up to 2,000 exclusive Metro dealer stores, presses dealers with exclusivity rules and commission cuts that spark a petition, and lays off Sprint staff. The 2021 cyberattack exposes data on about 76 million people, and Metro raises its bill-payment fee for in-person and phone payments.
T-Mobile launches a $14 billion buyback in September 2022, the start of what reached $54.6 billion in returns by mid-2026, and lays off about 5,000 workers in 2023. Metro winds down its corporate stores, raises plan prices by $5 unless customers use autopay, and in-store fees rise; a 2023 API breach hits prepaid and postpaid accounts. The era ends with the FCC's April 2024 location-data fines.
As T-Mobile closes the Mint Mobile deal, Metro doubles its unlock wait to 365 days, and T-Mobile fights both the FCC's proposed 60-day unlock rule and its location-data fine. The April 2025 plan reset lowers some prices and adds a 5-year price guarantee, but consolidation (UScellular, 2025), shareholder returns raised to $18.2 billion for 2026 and the dropping of DEI programs to win FCC approval define the parent's direction.
Alternatives
Independent MVNO not owned by a major carrier, offering plans on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile networks. Easy switch: port your number online. Avoids the structural conflict of interest that comes with carrier-owned prepaid brands like Metro.
Prepaid MVNO on the same T-Mobile network. Plans start at $15/month with a 3-month upfront payment, and phones bought from Mint unlock automatically 60 days after activation. Easy switch: port your number and activate a SIM. Caveat: T-Mobile completed its acquisition of Mint in 2024, so it shares the same parent company.
AT&T's prepaid brand, running on a different network than Metro's T-Mobile infrastructure. Easy switch if AT&T coverage works in your area. It has a similar carrier-owned prepaid structure, so it is not a clean break from the category's issues.
Dimensional Breakdown
Summaries below were written by AI agents based on the cited evidence. They are editorial interpretations, not independent research findings.
Dimension History
Timeline (55 events)
MetroPCS launches flat-rate prepaid service
MetroPCS (formed in 1994 as General Wireless, Inc. to bid for PCS licenses) commercially launches its first market in January 2002, rolling out service that year in the Miami, Atlanta, Sacramento and San Francisco metro areas. It offers flat-rate, no-contract, unlimited local calling plans paid in advance, an unusual model at the time. Dallas/Fort Worth service did not launch until March 2006.
MetroPCS wins $1.39 billion of AWS-1 spectrum in Auction 66
In the FCC's AWS-1 spectrum auction (Auction 66, August 9 to September 18, 2006), which drew about $13.9 billion in gross bids from 104 winning bidders, MetroPCS AWS, LLC wins eight licenses for $1.39 billion, including the New York, Northeast, West, Detroit, Dallas-Fort Worth and Las Vegas licenses. The spectrum underpins MetroPCS's later expansion into New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Las Vegas.
MetroPCS CDMA handsets carry subsidy locks
MetroPCS CDMA handsets carry Master Subsidy Lock (MSL) codes that stop customers from reprogramming phones for other carriers; forum users trade MSL calculators to get around them. Because MetroPCS runs CDMA, its phones are also incompatible with the GSM networks used by AT&T and T-Mobile, so switching carriers usually means buying a new device.
MetroPCS IPO raises $1.15 billion on NYSE
MetroPCS Communications prices its IPO of 50 million shares at $23 each on April 19, 2007, above the $19 to $21 range, the largest IPO of 2007 to that point. The stock opens at $25.10 and closes its first day at $27.40 on the NYSE under ticker PCS, giving it a market value above $9 billion.
MetroPCS makes unsolicited merger bid for prepaid rival Leap Wireless
MetroPCS proposes a stock-for-stock merger with Leap Wireless, parent of rival flat-rate prepaid carrier Cricket. Leap does not engage in meaningful negotiations, and on November 1, 2007 MetroPCS withdraws the proposal, saying it will focus on stand-alone growth. MetroPCS then had over 3.6 million subscribers.
MetroPCS hit with class action over misleading international calling ads
Customer Eli Friedman files a class action lawsuit against MetroPCS alleging that its '$5 Unlimited International Calling' add-on plan uses bait-and-switch tactics. The plan excludes calls to many countries including Israel and the United Kingdom without disclosure, forcing customers to purchase separate calling cards. The suit alleges violations of consumer protection laws and deceptive trade practices in MetroPCS advertising.
MetroPCS launches first U.S. LTE network
MetroPCS becomes the first carrier in the United States to launch a commercial LTE network, debuting in Las Vegas with the Samsung Craft, the world's first commercially available LTE handset. Plans started at $55/month for unlimited voice, text, and data. The carrier expanded LTE to Dallas, Detroit, Boston, Sacramento, and New York by year's end.
MetroPCS LTE plans favor YouTube, drawing net neutrality complaints
MetroPCS's new LTE plans include unlimited web browsing plus YouTube at $40, while a $50 plan adds 1GB of 'additional data access' for services like Netflix and Skype. MetroPCS said it worked with YouTube to compress video for its network. Free Press and other public interest groups urge the FCC to investigate the plans as blocking and discrimination under the new Open Internet rules. MetroPCS, alongside Verizon, then asks the D.C. Circuit to vacate the rules; the court dismisses both challenges as premature in April 2011, and MetroPCS drops its challenge in 2013 after the T-Mobile merger.
MetroPCS dealers accused of marking up phones and withholding rebates
Customers on HowardForums report MetroPCS authorized dealers charging inflated phone prices, not applying instant rebates, charging activation fees MetroPCS says do not exist, and pushing customers onto pricier plans; one poster says NYC corporate stores face quotas to sell three-quarters of plans at $50 or more. An authorized dealer replies that dealers are contractually bound to Metro's retail pricing and rebate rules but that many neighboring dealers ignore them.
MetroPCS outsources all customer service offshore
MetroPCS outsources all customer contact center operations to Telvista, routing service calls to centers in Mexico, Antigua, Panama, and the Philippines. The company employs only 3,700 direct workers to serve 9.3 million subscribers, minimizing labor costs while shifting customer-facing service quality to offshore contractors with limited oversight.
MetroPCS agrees to merge with T-Mobile USA
MetroPCS and Deutsche Telekom sign a definitive agreement to combine T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS as a recapitalization: MetroPCS shareholders receive $1.5 billion in cash and 26% of the combined company, with Deutsche Telekom holding 74%. MetroPCS had about 9.3 million subscribers; the combined company was projected to have about 42.5 million. The deal gives T-Mobile MetroPCS's spectrum and prepaid customer base.
T-Mobile/MetroPCS merger completes as reverse takeover
The merger between T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS closes after FCC and DOJ approval with no conditions. The combined entity begins trading on NYSE as TMUS under the T-Mobile US name. MetroPCS becomes a subsidiary brand within T-Mobile's portfolio, beginning its transition from independent carrier to second-tier prepaid brand.
MetroPCS overtime suits settle for $2.4 million total
MetroPCS Wireless's settlements with account services representatives who alleged unpaid overtime reach $2.4 million in total: $550,000 for the federal Fair Labor Standards Act claims in the Florida federal case Palma v. MetroPCS, and $1.85 million for New York and California state-law claims approved by a New York state court in December 2014. About 150 representatives are covered.
NLRB judge finds T-Mobile guilty of nationwide illegal labor policies
An NLRB administrative law judge rules that 11 of 13 T-Mobile US corporate policies at issue are illegal, finding they block workers from organizing or discussing workplace problems such as wages. The order to rescind the policies covers about 40,000 T-Mobile workers.
MetroPCS legacy CDMA network shut down
T-Mobile shuts down MetroPCS's legacy CDMA network on June 21, 2015 in the last three markets, New York, Dallas and Miami, after shutting Las Vegas, Hartford and Boston in July 2014. About 190,000 MetroPCS customers were still on CDMA and had to move to a GSM/LTE phone through a trade-in upgrade program. T-Mobile had estimated the cost of decommissioning these markets at $375 million to $475 million; the shutdown freed spectrum for LTE.
T-Mobile creates T-Voice company union to counter CWA organizing
T-Mobile establishes T-Voice, a company-controlled workplace organization, in response to Communications Workers of America organizing efforts among call center workers. T-Voice provides a vehicle for employees to report working conditions to management but is structured to prevent genuine collective bargaining. Company unions have been illegal under U.S. labor law since the National Labor Relations Act of 1935.
MetroPCS introduces Data Maximizer 480p video optimization
MetroPCS adds Data Maximizer to its data plans effective November 19, 2015, streaming video at 480p (DVD quality) and pitching it as a way to watch up to three times more video on the same data. Customers report it is switched on by default, including on unlimited plans.
T-Mobile authorizes its first $1.5 billion stock buyback
T-Mobile US, Metro's parent, announces a $1.5 billion stock repurchase program, saying its balance sheet lets it return capital while continuing to invest in its network. It was among many companies announcing buybacks ahead of the 2017 federal tax overhaul.
MetroPCS increases device unlock period from 90 to 180 days
MetroPCS doubles its device unlock requirement from 90 days to 180 days of consecutive active service. Customers who purchase phones from MetroPCS must maintain active service for six months before their device can be unlocked for use on another carrier, increasing switching friction for price-sensitive prepaid customers.
T-Mobile and Sprint announce merger agreement
T-Mobile US and Sprint announce a merger agreement on April 29, 2018, with T-Mobile valuing Sprint at about $59 billion. A Congressional Research Service analysis finds the deal would raise the wireless industry's revenue-based HHI by 410 points to 3,256, well above the level DOJ guidelines presume enhances market power, and the prepaid-segment HHI by 1,216 points to 3,902; T-Mobile and Sprint together held 54% of prepaid subscribers.
MetroPCS rebranded as Metro by T-Mobile
T-Mobile renames MetroPCS as Metro by T-Mobile, launching in October with new unlimited plans that bundle Google One storage and, on the top plan, Amazon Prime. The rebrand aims to shed the stigma of prepaid: research showed that of the millions living near MetroPCS stores, 70% excluded the brand from consideration entirely.
Bounty hunters found buying T-Mobile customer location data
A Vice/Motherboard investigation reveals that bounty hunters can locate any T-Mobile phone in real time for as little as $300 through a chain of data resellers. T-Mobile sold customer location data to aggregator Zumigo, which shared it with Microbilt, which sold access to bail bond companies and bounty hunters. The practice affected all T-Mobile network customers, including Metro subscribers.
New York City sues T-Mobile over deceptive Metro store practices
New York City's consumer affairs department sues T-Mobile, MetroPCS New York and Metro dealers, alleging that 56 stores across the five boroughs sold used phones as new, signed customers up for costly lease financing without consent, charged made-up 'taxes' on top of a $15 activation fee and failed to give legal receipts. The suit holds T-Mobile responsible for the stores' conduct.
T-Mobile/Sprint merger closes, creating three-carrier oligopoly
T-Mobile completes its acquisition of Sprint on April 1, 2020, reducing the number of U.S. national wireless carriers from four to three. Mike Sievert takes over as CEO from John Legere at closing.
T-Mobile reportedly closes up to 2,000 Metro stores after Sprint merger
A month after the Sprint merger closes, multiple reports say T-Mobile is closing possibly 1,500 to 2,000 exclusive Metro by T-Mobile dealer stores, after earlier terminating non-exclusive dealers; dealers receive 120-day termination letters. Boost founder Peter Adderton estimates about 6,000 people are affected. T-Mobile calls it normal retail optimization, saying some dealer stores will become T-Mobile stores.
T-Mobile lays off hundreds of Sprint employees after merger
Two months after the merger closes, T-Mobile lays off hundreds of Sprint employees on short conference calls. Before the deal, CEO John Legere had claimed the combined company would have more than 11,000 additional employees by 2024 than the standalone companies, while CWA estimated about 30,000 jobs would be affected by store and corporate consolidation.
Metro dealers petition against commission cuts and T-Mobile control
Metro by T-Mobile dealers circulate a petition against post-merger changes they say could affect more than 8,000 stores and 20,000 employees: drastically reduced commissions, a single mandatory accessory vendor and T-Mobile poaching Metro customers. Some call for FTC and DOJ intervention; the dealer association says T-Mobile imposes franchise-like control on businesses that are not franchises. Earlier in 2020, T-Mobile had barred Metro dealers from selling other brands.
T-Mobile settles New York City's Metro deceptive-sales case
T-Mobile agrees to pay $306,000 in civil penalties and $100,000 into a consumer claims fund to resolve New York City's allegations that it, MetroPCS NY and more than 50 Metro dealers and stores sold used phones as new, overcharged customers, damaged credit through third-party lease financing and used deceptive return policies. It agrees to stop advertising incorrect refund policies and prices and to disclose used or refurbished products.
T-Mobile data breach exposes 76 million customers
T-Mobile discloses a cyberattack exposing data on about 76 million people, including names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and driver's license information. For Metro, T-Mobile says up to 52,000 names tied to current Metro by T-Mobile accounts may have been included, without other personal identifiers. T-Mobile settles the resulting class action for $350 million (final approval June 2023) plus $150 million in required data security spending.
Metro raises bill-payment processing fee to $5
Metro by T-Mobile raises the fee for paying a bill by phone or in a store from $4 to $5 a month, reportedly from September 1, 2022. Customers on autopay or paying on Metro's website avoid it.
T-Mobile launches $14 billion shareholder buyback program
T-Mobile authorizes its first major shareholder return program: up to $14 billion in stock buybacks running through September 2023. It begins a capital return campaign that would see T-Mobile dubbed 'The Buyback King' and return $41.8 billion to shareholders by September 2025, while operating a prepaid brand serving many low-income customers.
NLRB orders T-Mobile to disband illegal T-Voice company union
The National Labor Relations Board rules that T-Mobile's T-Voice employee organization was an illegal company union created to counter CWA organizing, and orders it disbanded. The Board finds that T-Voice existed to deal with T-Mobile over working conditions, meeting the legal definition of a labor organization, and was employer-dominated in violation of the NLRA. T-Mobile appeals the decision.
T-Mobile API breach exposes about 37 million prepaid and postpaid accounts
T-Mobile identifies a bad actor who had been pulling data through a single API since about November 25, 2022, obtaining names, billing addresses, emails, phone numbers, dates of birth and account details for about 37 million current postpaid and prepaid customer accounts. It was one of the breaches covered by T-Mobile's later $31.5 million FCC settlement.
Metro by T-Mobile winds down its corporate-owned stores
T-Mobile begins eliminating Metro by T-Mobile's corporate-owned stores, which numbered 186 against roughly 7,000 dealer-owned stores, laying off Metro regional and store managers. Dealers are expected to take over many locations, and T-Mobile announces dealer-run 'Express' stores, moving Metro retail entirely to authorized dealers.
Metro by T-Mobile quietly raises plan prices and in-store fees
Metro by T-Mobile raises plan prices by $5/month unless customers enroll in autopay: the 5GB plan becomes $35 ($30 with autopay) and the 10GB plan $45 ($40 with autopay). In-store upgrade, activation and reactivation fees rise from $20 to $25. Internal documents say autopay discounts will later be limited to debit cards. The changes go live without an announcement.
Metro ranks first in J.D. Power customer care among MVNOs
Metro by T-Mobile ranks highest among full-service mobile virtual network operators in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Study, Volume 2, for the second consecutive time, scoring 840 points, 20 above the segment average. T-Mobile says it is Metro's 12th overall J.D. Power win.
T-Mobile lays off 5,000 employees while authorizing billions in buybacks
T-Mobile announces it will lay off about 5,000 employees, about 7% of its workforce, mostly in corporate and back-office roles. CEO Mike Sievert says attracting and retaining customers has become more expensive. The cuts come as T-Mobile is running tens of billions of dollars in shareholder returns.
Federal court upholds NLRB ruling on T-Mobile's illegal company union
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit affirms the NLRB's finding that T-Mobile created an illegal workplace organization through T-Voice, rejecting T-Mobile's appeal. The court holds that T-Voice was a labor organization under the NLRA because it existed to deal with T-Mobile over working conditions, and was illegally employer-dominated.
FCC fines T-Mobile $92 million for illegal location data sales
The FCC fines T-Mobile $80 million and Sprint $12 million (with AT&T and Verizon fined about $57 million and $47 million) for selling access to customers' real-time location data to aggregators, who resold it to third-party location services, without valid consent or reasonable safeguards. The practice affected all T-Mobile network customers including Metro subscribers. T-Mobile challenged the fine in court.
T-Mobile completes Mint Mobile acquisition, immediately doubles Metro device lock
T-Mobile closes its acquisition of Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile on May 1, 2024, having told the FCC on April 23 that it would move both brands to a 60-day unlock policy. Days later, Metro by T-Mobile doubles its device unlock period from 180 to 365 days. BestMVNO calls the timing a move to pull 'a fast one' on the FCC, since Metro has about eight times as many customers as Mint and Ultra combined.
T-Mobile raises prices on legacy plans despite 'Un-contract' promise
T-Mobile raises prices by up to $5 per line on legacy plans including T-Mobile ONE, Simple Choice and Magenta, despite marketing that said 'T-Mobile will never change the price you pay.' The fine print only promised to cover the final month of service for customers who cancelled. A class action is filed on July 12, 2024.
FCC proposes 60-day unlock rule after Metro doubles its lock period
The FCC votes 5-0 to propose requiring all carriers to unlock phones within 60 days of activation. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel says some carriers 'have recently increased the time their customers must wait until they can unlock their device by as much as 100 percent,' and the draft cites Metro by T-Mobile's move from 180 to 365 days. T-Mobile later opposes the rule in its comments.
T-Mobile opposes FCC's proposed 60-day unlock rule
In comments on the FCC's proposal to require unlocking within 60 days, T-Mobile argues that the agency lacks statutory authority and that the rule raises a 'major question' only Congress can decide, and suggests the mandate could end its device payment plans. Verizon, already bound by a 60-day rule, backs the proposal.
T-Mobile settles $31.5 million FCC data breach investigation
T-Mobile agrees to pay $31.5 million to settle FCC investigations into data breaches in 2021, 2022 and 2023: the 2021 cyberattack, a 2022 breach of a reseller-management platform, a 2023 breach of a sales application, and a January 2023 API exposure affecting 37 million customers. Half is a civil penalty and half funds mandated security improvements such as phishing-resistant multifactor authentication, network segmentation and third-party audits.
Metro adds Ad It Up app that pays bill credits for playing ad games
Metro by T-Mobile customers get Ad It Up, an app preinstalled on some phones in which they install and play advertised mobile games to earn points redeemable as payments on their Metro bill. Advertisers pay to have their games featured. Metro later markets the app on its site, with redemptions capped at one preset amount per day.
Metro launches lower-priced plans with a 5-year price guarantee
From April 24, 2025, Metro replaces its lineup with four plans: Starter, Starter Plus (a $40 no-autopay plan for customers who bring a number), Flex Unlimited and Flex Unlimited Plus, which is $10 a month cheaper than the plan it replaces. New plans, and existing Flex and BYOD plans, get a 5-year guarantee on the price of talk, text and data, with taxes and fees still included. The guarantee does not cover other plan features.
T-Mobile ends DEI programs while seeking FCC approval of two deals
In a letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who had said he would block deals by companies with DEI policies, T-Mobile says it is ending its DEI-related policies 'not just in name, but in substance' while awaiting approval of its UScellular purchase and Metronet joint venture. Commissioner Anna Gomez calls it a cynical bid to win approval.
DOJ clears T-Mobile's $4.3 billion UScellular acquisition
The DOJ closes its review of T-Mobile's purchase of UScellular's wireless operations (about $4.3 billion after adjustments), which brings T-Mobile about 4.4 million customers and roughly a third of UScellular's spectrum. The DOJ says the Big 3 carriers would control 90% of wireless lines and 80% of available spectrum and that continued spectrum aggregation threatens the emergence of a fourth national competitor. The deal closes August 1, 2025.
Congress investigates Trump Mobile arrangement with T-Mobile
House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats launch an investigation into T-Mobile's business arrangement with the Trump Organization for the 'Trump Mobile' service, citing potential conflicts of interest. Since President Trump appoints the FCC Chair who regulates T-Mobile's business, the arrangement creates an appearance of regulatory capture, potentially influencing spectrum allocations, merger approvals, and enforcement actions.
D.C. Circuit upholds T-Mobile and Sprint location-data fines
A unanimous D.C. Circuit panel rejects T-Mobile's and Sprint's challenge to the FCC's $80 million and $12 million fines for selling access to customer location data without consent, holding that the data is protected customer information and rejecting the carriers' jury-trial argument.
Srini Gopalan named to succeed Mike Sievert as T-Mobile CEO
T-Mobile names COO Srini Gopalan, formerly head of Telekom Deutschland, as CEO effective November 1, 2025. Mike Sievert becomes Vice Chairman and stays in management and on the board.
T-Mobile cuts 200 jobs at Chattanooga call center
T-Mobile files notice that it will permanently lay off 200 employees at its Chattanooga call center effective June 8, 2026, after cutting 127 jobs there in a 2023-24 reduction. It gave no reason; the center is not closing.
T-Mobile raises 2026 shareholder return program to $18.2 billion
T-Mobile's board adds up to $3.6 billion to its 2026 buyback and dividend program, raising it from $14.6 billion to $18.2 billion through December 31, 2026, to be funded from cash and debt. The quarterly dividend is $1.02 a share.
Metro removes 70GB premium-data cap on its top plan
Metro by T-Mobile quietly drops the 70GB cap after which top-plan users fell to a lower network priority, giving that plan premium data with no firm cap. Hotspot stays at 25GB, and Metro's premium priority is still below postpaid T-Mobile's.
T-Mobile seeks Supreme Court route to a refund of its location-data fine
After the Supreme Court ruled in FCC v. AT&T in June 2026 that the FCC can issue such fines but carriers need not pay until sued, T-Mobile asks the Court to send its case back to the D.C. Circuit so it can argue for a refund of its $92 million penalty, or to review parts of the fines itself. It argues the location data was not covered by FCC privacy rules and that fines should be capped at $2 million. On September 30, 2026 the FCC and DOJ urge the Court to refuse.
Evidence (45 citations)
D1: User Value Erosion
D2: Business Customer Exploitation
D3: Shareholder Extraction
D4: Lock-in & Switching Costs
D5: Twiddling & Algorithmic Opacity
D6: Dark Patterns
D7: Advertising & Monetization Pressure
D8: Competitive Conduct
D9: Labor & Governance
D10: Regulatory & Legal Posture
Scoring Log (7 entries)
Checked 81 items + prose. 18 verified, 30 corrected (8 date-only), 30 re-sourced, 3 removed. Invented: (1) MetroPCS 'launched in Dallas' in 2002, contradicted by the SEC IPO prospectus (Miami/Atlanta/Sacramento/SF; Dallas 2006); (2) IPO at $25/share raising $1.37B, contradicted by MetroPCS's SEC pricing release ($23, 50M shares, ~$1.15B); (3) the location-data fine as 'largest in FCC history', contradicted by the FCC's ~$300M robocall fine (CNN, Aug 2023). Many dead/fabricated-slug URLs (Verge, Tom's Guide, Consumer Reports, Ars, BBB) re-sourced or removed; 12 unsupported details dropped.
53→52. D1 5→4 (recalibration: SD video, deprioritization and the 2023 autopay hike fit the low-medium band once the April 2025 price cut and guarantee and the April 2026 premium-cap removal are weighed; the '75% slower' figure is a general estimate, not a Metro measurement). D4 6→5 (recalibration: the 365-day lock is the only strong mechanism; there are no contracts, ETFs or financing balloons, and BYOD lines are unlocked). D5 5→4 (correction: Metro's Open Internet disclosure states the 35GB Heavy Data User threshold and priority order, contrary to the old 'thresholds not disclosed' summary; fixed evidence[14]). D8 5→6 (recalibration: an acquisition pattern of Sprint, Mint/Ultra and UScellular, with the remedy for a fourth carrier gone, fits 'dominant position defended through acquisitions'). D10 5→6 (event: lost at the D.C. Circuit in Aug 2025, then a June 2026 Supreme Court petition seeking a refund of the $92M fine; also opposed the 60-day unlock rule as beyond FCC authority and dropped DEI to win deal approval). Eras: Prepaid Pioneer re-dated 2002-09-01→2002-01-01 (launch); Public Company Growth re-dated 2007-04-01→2007-04-19 (IPO); T-Mobile Subsidiary and Post-Sprint Oligopoly kept; Buyback King Era re-dated 2026-02-17→2022-09-01 ($14B buyback) and split at 2024-05-01 (Mint close and 365-day lock) into a new 'Year-Long Lock Era'. Since Oct 2025: Gopalan becomes CEO; 2026 returns program raised to $18.2B ($54.6B cumulative since Q3 2022); Metro drops the 70GB premium cap (Apr 2026); Chattanooga call-center layoffs; Supreme Court upholds FCC fining process (Jun 2026) and T-Mobile seeks a refund; Deutsche Telekom reportedly in early talks on a full combination. No Metro price, unlock or dealer-term changes found. Gap-fills: Leap bid (2007), first T-Mobile buyback (2017), NYC suit and settlement (2019/2021), 2020 dealer petition, 2022 payment fee, 2023 API breach, 2023 J.D. Power care win, 2024 unlock-rule opposition, 2024 Ad It Up launch.
Removed typed-in site scores from alternatives text (they go stale on re-score; the page shows live scores). No other changes.
No material changes since 2026-02-17. Checked Metro news, pricing, device-lock policy, FCC/FTC actions, breaches, and labor. 365-day lock unchanged; only Metro-specific change is a minor positive (April 2026 removal of 70GB premium data cap on top plan). T-Mobile's June 2026 forced migration of ~8M legacy postpaid customers to pricier plans does not affect Metro customers (5-year price guarantee intact); March 2026 IT layoffs (~393) are incremental. No dimension moves bands.