T-Mobile is becoming the mirror image of the carriers it claimed to fight against

In 2012, the wireless industry was in a less-than-ideal state. AT&T and Verizon dominated the market, despite a reputation for price gouging. Meanwhile, Sprint and T-Mobile lagged behind in third and fourth place, respectively. In an effort to change its trajectory, T-Mobile hired John Legere as CEO. Legere wasn’t your typical corporate suit. He wore jeans and T-shirts, and cursed like a sailor. He was also outspoken about the poor policies and practices of the larger wireless carriers, and actually made a ton of big changes to the company through the “Uncarrier” marketing initiative.

This campaign aimed to disrupt traditional industry practices, such as two-year contracts, hidden fees, and sudden price increases. These transformations occurred against the backdrop of a planned merger with Sprint, which was finalized in 2020 after extensive negotiations. Fast forward to today, and the new T-Mobile now largely resembles the very companies Legere once vocally opposed.