With Sprint majority owner SoftBank reportedly making the decision to move forward on a merger with T-Mobile, Reuters learned from confidential sources that both carriers plan on completing the transaction without selling any assets. That is important as far as the deal goes because part of the attraction for T-Mobile is combining its low-frequency spectrum in the 600MHz-700MHz band, with Sprint’s huge inventory of high-frequency 2.5GHz spectrum. This combination could help the newly merged company when time comes to build out their 5G pipeline.
October 16’s report also claims that both T-Mobile and Sprint are working together to come up with a negotiating strategy in case US regulatory agencies like the DOJ request the divestiture of assets. If the deal does go through, the new company would have approximately 131 million subscribers. At the end of the second quarter, AT&T had 136.5 million customers with Verizon’s 147.2 million subscribers putting Big Red on top.
Speaking of regulators, the main two that T-Mobile and Sprint need to sign off on any deal are the FCC and the DOJ. The pair forced AT&T to back out of a bid for T-Mobile in 2011, and were prepared to do the same when a T-Mobile/Sprint combination was being discussed in 2014. This time around, the FCC and FTC are both said to be skeptical of the deal, but neither agency can make an official comment until the transaction is announced and reviewed.
Full Content: Reuters
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
FCC Set to Reinstate Net Neutrality Rules Today
Apr 25, 2024 by
CPI
Chamber of Commerce Sues to Overturn FTC Non-Compete Ban
Apr 24, 2024 by
CPI
FTC Chief Warns of Healthcare Price Fixing Risks Amid Tech Advancements
Apr 24, 2024 by
CPI
Amazon’s Investment in Anthropic Faces Antitrust Scrutiny
Apr 24, 2024 by
CPI
Italian Antitrust Authority Fines Amazon €10 Million for Unfair Trade Practices
Apr 24, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Economics of Criminal Antitrust
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Navigating Economic Expert Work in Criminal Antitrust Litigation
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
The Increased Importance of Economics in Cartel Cases
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
A Law and Economics Analysis of the Antitrust Treatment of Physician Collective Price Agreements
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Information Exchange In Criminal Antitrust Cases: How Economic Testimony Can Tip The Scales
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI