US operator T-Mobile has revamped its retail offering, abolishing handset subsidies for premium devices in favour of an interest-free scheme that separates the cost of the device from the cost of network service. Annual service contracts have also been withdrawn. The pricing overhaul is expected to be one of a number of announcements made by T-Mobile at a press event later on Tuesday, although the changes have already been made on the operator’s online retail portal.

Much has been made of the perceived spectrum shortage in the US. While operators will arguably never be satisfied with the amount of spectrum they possess and will always welcome more, in terms of MHz available per subscriber in the market, the US does look as though it is lacking in comparison to other major markets.

A US House Intelligence Committee report warned the country’s operators that Chinese infrastructure vendor ZTE and its domestic rival Huawei, pose a threat to the country’s national security. In the wake of the report, David Dai Shu, ZTE’s director of global public affairs, spoke to Telecoms.com to give his comopany’s side of the story.

Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS have announced plans to merge with DT owning 74 per cent of the combined company and MetroPCS the remaining 26 per cent. The deal will strengthen T-Mobile’s position in the US, increasing total subscribers by 28 per cent to 43 million and increasing market share from 10 per cent to 13 per cent.

US operator AT&T has announced that it is to acquire NextWave Wireless, which holds spectrum licences in the US AWS and WCS bands. AT&T will pay $650m NextWave, $600m of which covers NextWave’s debt.

Deutsche Telecom’s US mobile operation, T-Mobile USA, is to cut a further 900 jobs, following the unit’s failed $39bn purchase by AT&T late last year. The latest cuts come on top of around 1,900 job losses announced earlier this year.