T-Mobile CEO calls new AT&T promotion ‘desperate,’ teases surprise next week

AT&T may have acknowledged a squabble, but T-Mobile won’t settle for anything less than a war. Calling it a “desperate move” to win over customers, boisterous T-Mobile CEO John Legere responded to AT&T’s offer to give his customers $200 per line for switching over their service with an attack of his own. “Consumers won’t be fooled,” Legere writes in a statement posted to T-Mobile’s website, “...nothing has changed; customers will still feel the same old pain that AT&T is famous for.”

Legere suggests that AT&T launched the promotion because it performed poorly over the holidays and is now in an uncomfortable position. Unlikely as that may be, Legere’s continued bravado has clearly caught AT&T’s attention. He plays up T-Mobile’s role as David to AT&T’s Goliath, rubbing in his company’s newfound favor by pointing out that it’s occurred in part because T-Mobile was able to take AT&T’s money after a failed buyout attempt, and used that to purchase its spectrum.

Legere also teases an announcement at CES next week that he suggests — a bit hyperbolically — will shake up the industry even more. “Just wait until CES to hear what pain points we are eliminating next,” Legere writes. “The competition is going to be toast!”

You can read T-Mobile CEO John Legere’s full statement below:

This is a desperate move by AT&T on the heels of what must have been a terrible Q4 and holiday for them. I’m flattered that we have made them so uncomfortable! We used AT&T’s cash to build a far superior network and added Un-carrier moves to take tons of their customers - and now they want to bribe them back! Consumers won’t be fooled...nothing has changed; customers will still feel the same old pain that AT&T is famous for. Just wait until CES to hear what pain points we are eliminating next. The competition is going to be toast!