Mobile Forensics: Navigating the T-Mobile / Sprint Merger

 


"Listen, I've been married for twenty five years to the same wonderful, infuriating woman. And granted there are days when I want to light her on fire but I don't, because I love her. And that would be illegal. And you know something, and I might be old fashioned but when I said those vows, I meant them." - Judge Whopper (What Happens in Vegas)

Mergers are like marriages.  In the case of T-Mobile and Sprint it's like Mike and Carol Brady tying the knot.  With it comes 6 brats that try to navigate life and in the end there's some important life lesson you're supposed to get from the 30 minute sitcom.

Well this isn't TV, and it's definitely not as happy as the story of a man named Brady.  Here we see two mobile powerhouses with T-Mobile, USA and Sprint Inc. who entered the holy union of matrimony on August 1, 2020.  And the whole mobile forensics world started banging its head against the walls.  Why?  It's simple.  Well actually it's not simple.  Just because T-Mobile is now the parent company of Sprint and it's subsidiaries doesn't mean it's as simple as sending a subpoena or search warrant to T-Mobile.

Pre-Merger, Sprint was it's own carrier, and also owned Boost Mobile prepaid service.  T-Mobile was it's own carrier, and owned Metro PCS prepaid service.

Post Merger, Sprint is absorbed into T-Mobile, who also owns Metro PCS and Boost is now owned by Dish Network.  

So who do I subpoena for subscriber information? 

Well, since you asked... all of the above?  Why? Because there are no clearly defined guidelines from parent company T-Mobile on who to send law enforcement requests to.

Ahhh... makes sense... 

Here is what I have been able to piece together, and if it ever changes, I make no promised that this will be updated in a timely manner.  For Boost and/or Sprint I strongly recommend sending out multiple subpoenas / search warrants until things get ironed out.  I just submitted three this morning and am patiently waiting for confirmation from each service.

Boost Mobile - Prior to July 1, 2020
ATTN: Subpoena Compliance Center
Boost Mobile / Sprint Corporation
6480 Sprint Parkway
Overland Park, KS 66251
Phone: 1-800-877-7330 opt. 3
Fax: (816) 600-3111

Boost Mobile - Since July 1, 2020
ATTN: Subpoena Compliance Center
Boost Mobile / DISH Network L.L.C.
9601 S. Meridian Blvd.
Englewood, CO 80112

Sprint
ATTN: Subpoena Compliance Center
Sprint Corporation
6480 Sprint Parkway
Overland Park, KS 66251
Phone: 1-800-877-7330 opt. 3
Fax: (816) 600-3111

T-Mobile (Including Metro PCS)
ATTN: Subpoena Compliance Department
T-Mobile USA, Inc.
4 Sylvan Way
Parsippany, NJ 07054

As things progress, and from user experience, I am sure that there will be those who can decrypt the madness that is this unholy matrimony.  If anybody has more information, and is willing to share, hit me up at rarebreed4n6@gmail.com.

UPDATE: Thanks to the help from a fellow law enforcement officer I've been pointed in the direction of one of the most comprehensive lists I've ever seen. I used it to update the above information, and have place it on the Resources page for easy access. You can view it here: https://www.search.org/resources/isp-list/

  

Holla at ya boy.

RB4N6


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