| T-Mobile, as its name might suggest, is a mobile phone company owned by the German company Deutsche Telekom. Though originally a mostly European company, they have since spread out into other markets in Asia and Eastern Europe. They are also becoming more and more popular in the United States as their aggressive marketing scheme makes their name known to more and more potential customers. T-Mobile has generally tried to focus on monthly subscribers, as opposed to pay-as-you-go customers. Though considered a risky decision by many, this has netted them a fair amount of success. With 109 million users, they are the fourth largest service provider in the world, bested only by two Chinese and one British company, and four places in front of its only American competitor. T-Mobile's success in the United States has been bolstered by a generally above-average level of customer satisfaction. In 2004, they were awarded the "Highest ranked Wireless Customer Service Provider" Award and the "Highest Overall Customer Satisfaction" Award, both from the marketing information firm J.D. Power and Associates. In 2005, they won the first of those two awards again, and added the "Highest in Customer Service with Business Wireless Service" Award. Interestingly enough, T-Mobile actually has a relatively small network area, at least compared to its other US competitors. To compensate, it has tried to implement national HotSpots, which provide quick and easy wireless access. These HotSpots can be found in many airports, hotels, cafes, and restaurants. Their ubiquity has ensured the company a fair amount of popularity for travelers and businessmen. |