AT&T drags T-Mobile into the pit of despair

AT&T intends to swallow T-Mobile for $39 billion -- so much for decent call quality, customer service, and low-cost data plans

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. I'm not talking about Michael Corleone and the Mafia. It's worse -- I'm talking about AT&T.

Literally just yesterday I had the following conversation:

She: We're running out of minutes. T-Mobile has a pretty good upgrade deal, but that means signing another two-year contract.

Me: Sure, let's go for it. We like T-Mobile. I have no problem committing for another two years. It's not like they're AT&T.

[ Also on InfoWorld.com: Drawing from his own history with the company, Cringely concludes AT&T is strictly for losers. | For a humorous take on the tech industry's shenanigans, subscribe to Robert X. Cringely's Notes from the Underground newsletter and follow Cringely on Twitter. ]

Now, of course, AT&T is swallowing T-Mobile in a deal worth $39 billion -- so much for that.

This isn't the first time this has happened to me. I used to be a Cingular customer, and I liked the company, which offered decent phone quality and good customer service. Then it was swallowed by AT&T. Call quality turned into crap. Customer service? A nightmare.

I had DSL service from a regional carrier a few years ago. It got snapped up by AT&T too. I've been a cable customer ever since.

Last year, when my AT&T wireless contract was finally up, I breathed a sigh of relief, ditched my Windows "smartphone" for Android, and jumped to T-Mobile. I should have known better. Assuming the deal goes through with regulators, I'll soon be back in telecom hell.

AT&T claims that the T-Mobile deal will improve its crappy phone reception and poor Internet access. In my experience, though, AT&T routinely takes good things and turns them into offal.

T-Mobile has $20 unlimited data plans. If you think AT&T is going to offer $20 unlimited data plans, I got a bridge in Arizona I want to sell you.