T-Mobile is becoming a cable TV provider
- T-Mobile acquired cable TV startup Layer3 TV in an effort to become a cable TV provider.
- The TV service will be available in 2018, but it's still unclear exactly where the service will be available.
- T-Mobile will compete against traditional cable TV providers like Comcast and Time Warner.
Telecoms company T-Mobile announced on Wednesday that it will offer a cable TV service that rivals traditional providers like Comcast and Time Warner in 2018.
To power its new TV service, T-Mobile acquired Layer3 TV for an undisclosed amount, the company announced on Wednesday. Layer3 TV is a relatively new cable TV service provider that uses fiber optic cables to deliver TV channels in higher quality compared to the traditional copper cable infrastructure capabilities.
Layer3 TV currently boasts a-la-carte channel selection, online streaming apps, and a premium cable box that can be linked to smaller boxes via WiFi so you can watch TV in other rooms.
So far, Layer3 TV is only available in Chicago, Washington D.C, Los Angeles, and Dallas/Fort Worth. It's unclear where and exactly when T-Mobile's cable TV service will be available, but it will arrive in 2018.
T-Mobile's CEO John Legere said in a video announcing the new service that "T-Mobile is going to Un-Carrier your TV," referring to the company's "Un-Carrier" mobile data service that's meant to be fairer and more attractive to customers than traditional mobile data plans from companies like Verizon and AT&T.
"We're about to take the fight to Big Cable and Satellite TV on behalf of consumer everywhere," Legere said.