Wireless used to be a great company and I loved working there until the Vodafone buyout. Once the telecom executives got a hold of wireless they started the RIF/outsource/off-shore march. The Telecom side hasn't been profitable for decades so you can downsize as your business shrinks. This strategy does not work for wireless when you're adding 250k-1M customers a quarter. Verizon doesn't know how to run a successful business. The telecom senior management removed all the Wireless execs and proceeded to turn Verizon Wireless into Verizon Telecom which was a death sentence. Verizon has never bought a business that they haven't destroyed with the same failed strategy of RIF/outsource/off-shore. That's the only thing they know and it has never worked. They did the same to YAHOO, American online and countless other acquisitions. As soon as I heard about the Vodafone deal, I said within 10 years, wireless will be ruined and I was right. When I left, I tried to transfer my concession number to my private phone (after approvals). I was totally offline for 4 days and ended up just having my non-concession number restored. Because I recently bought a new phone on a promotion, it was also cancelled as they tried to change my number. Took me another 6 months to get my billing corrected. They RIF'd everyone on the wireless side who knew what they were doing. These id--ts never learn. They keep doing the same thing expecting a different outcome. Sounds like insanity to me. I took a VSP but I feel really bad for the folks still trying to hold on. My advice... if you're under 50 years old take a RIF and find a company that appreciates you. If you're 50 or older, find something first. It's not easy finding a comparable job and salary once you get into your 50's.
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Wireless died when the IT guys took over (because hey, a blackberry carries data so it must be IT right?), that's when it became an endless rip-and-replace operation with no concern for getting it right.
There's really not much to add to this post because it is dead on correct. The entrepreneurial spirit in wireless and commitment to quality network and operations died after the buyout. Might as well have renamed it to GW - Government Wireless due to the complete bog down and process-laden environment that came next. You could see the light go out of everyone's eyes when they realized that ideas and performance ceased to matter. Executive ego was more important in the decision matrix that practicality and effectiveness and accelerated with the id--tic offshoring to the Far- and Near East.
d-mb post. wireless was fun and easy because everyone needed a cell phone, then upsell to a smartphone, then to unlimited data. You could do no wrong in the wireless game...easy street. Only thing we did right was build a great network out of the gate. All the superstar wireless execs that went to "save" wireline all failed terribly and left. This all started with Lowell.
@OP wireless wasn't any better. Wireless just had unlimited funds and funds not tracked to redo the job over and over until it worked on every level. Wireless = blanket po's. Unlimited hours to get it correct. I think we can all agree, open candy store.
@OP The 5 G disaster doomed wireless. Tried to go the non union way and offer double plays through 5 G. You can have a node on the pole in front of your house and still couldn’t stream 5G. Should’ve just built out Fios. The wireless side failed miserably.
And when the Midnight Dou--ebag took over I knew it was the nail in the coffin
@OP You are 100% spot on. The Vodafone buyout was the beginning of the decline.
The total lack of emphasis on network quality and complete emphasis on arbitrary timelines and processes took over and were the impetus behind the declining network dominance.
It is sad to see what has become of wireless.
This is all 100% true. If you are on the wireless side you know it's 100% true. Been saying it for years
Blowell McAdumb paid peak pricing for Vodaphone's half. Hard to believe a CEO could make such a poor decision. After the partnership ended, wireless was exposed to VZ Telco and all its union bloat and ineffciencies and it all went down the drain.