Sprint, T-Mobile end merger talks

Sprint and T-Mobile ended talks to merge the two companies after months of speculation and weeks of rumors. The two companies issued a joint press release saying they “were unable to find mutually agreeable terms.” Reports prior to the release suggested control of the merged company was an area of disagreement.

Sprint has wanted a T-Mobile merger for years, but earlier discussions never panned out at the FCC and DOJ, the federal agencies that review such a deal. This time, the deal never made it to the agencies. Even before the deal specifics were announced, Reuters reported that DOJ career staff are unlikely to approve a T-Mobile-Sprint deal and the Communications Workers of America said the merger would result in at least 20,000 lost US jobs and serious harm to consumers.

The end of Sprint-T-Mobile talks is good for workers and good for consumers. Who will be the next corporate giant to step in and try to make a deal with one of the two stand-alone wireless companies?

Links:

T-Mobile and Sprint End Merger Discussions (T-Mobile, Nov. 4, 2017)

T-Mobile, Sprint in merger talks again (Speed Matters, Sept. 22, 2017)

DOJ staff unlikely to approve T-Mobile-Sprint merger (Speed Matters, Oct. 12, 2017)

CWA: a Sprint-T-Mobile merger would kill 20,000 jobs and harm consumers (Speed Matters, Oct. 24, 2017)