T-Mobile And Sprint Agree To Merge, Valued At $26 Billion

T-Mobile and Sprint today announced plans to merge in an all stock deal that will create a "New T-Mobile" worth $146 billion. The new company's combined radio spectrum assets will allow it to accelerate deployment of 5G technology. 

The new T-Mobile plans to spend up to $40 billion on its new combined network in the first three years, 46% more than T-Mobile and Sprint spent combined in the past three years. The new company will assume both the T-Mobile brand and most of the T-Mobile leadership. 

John Legere current President and CEO of T-Mobile US will serve as CEO of the new company and Mike Sievert current COO of T-Mobile will serve as President and COO. 

Tim Höttges, current T-Mobile Chairman of the Board will serve as Chairman of the Board for the new company. 

Current Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure will serve on the board. Following closing the company will be headquartered in Bellevue, Wash. with a second headquarters in Overland Park, Kan. The combined company will have lower costs and greater economies of scale expected to result in run rate cost synergies of $6+ billion. 

The transaction is expected to close no later than the first half of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.


Source: T-Mobile, Sprint

T-Mobile Acquires Layer3 TV, Launching Its Own TV Service In 2018

Financial terms were not disclosed. Denver based Layer3 has raised about $80 million from investors including Evolution Media whose backers include CAA and Jeff Skoll’s Participant Media. The company has added Hollywood veterans including former Fox exec Lindsay Gardner and ex UTA social media agent Eric Kuhn to its exec roster as it has grown.

Details about the new TV service which will build on Layer3’s existing presence in select markets have not been disclosed. Execs declined to offer any guidance on pricing or strategy on the mix of content.



T-Mobile CEO John Legere said “This is about an integrated home and mobile experience.”

Sprint, T-Mobile Rumored To Be In Final Stages Of Merger Deal... Yet Again

SoftBank which controls 80% of Sprint is expressing optimism about the prospect for mergers in the U.S. wireless carrier industry under President Trump.

The Obama administration was "quite tough on business," SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son has been quoted saying. But now the "door is open" for potential deals he added.

Masayoshi Son failed in an attempt to merge Sprint with T-Mobile back in 2014 after the plan ran into regulatory hurdles. SoftBank paid $20.1 billion October 14th 2012 taking 70% control, on August 6th 2013 Softbank purchased another 2% raising their stakes to 80% ownership of Sprint and has struggled to turn the U.S. carrier around since.

Now, Masayoshi Son is ready to try again saying that while he is open to other options, T-Mobile remains his "first priority" for a merger with Sprint. T-Mobile CEO John Legere said earlier this year that the company was open to "various forms of consolidation."


Source: The Phone Ninja

Sprint, T-Mobile Rumored To Be Discussing Merger Details... Again

SoftBank which controls 80% of Sprint is expressing optimism about the prospect for mergers in the U.S. wireless carrier industry under President Trump.

The Obama administration was "quite tough on business," SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said Wednesday. But now the "door is open" for potential deals he added.

Masayoshi Son failed in an attempt to merge Sprint with T-Mobile back in 2014 after the plan ran into regulatory hurdles. SoftBank paid $20.1 billion October 14th 2012 taking 70% control, on August 6th 2013 Softbank purchased another 2% raising their stakes to 80% ownership of Sprint and has struggled to turn the U.S. carrier around since.

Now, Masayoshi Son is ready to try again saying that while he is open to other options, T-Mobile remains his "first priority" for a merger with Sprint. T-Mobile CEO John Legere said earlier this year that the company was open to "various forms of consolidation."


Source: CNN Money

Sprint Is Now Officially The Number Four Carrier In The US

T-Mobile CEO John Legere let some interesting information slip out during T-Mobile’s Uncannier announcement conference call via Periscope live stream. Last quarter, Legere said that T-Mobile gained 2.1 million net customers, bringing its total subscriber count to 58.9 million subscribers. Sprint currently has only around 57.1 million subscribers.

Legere predicted that T-Mobile would overtake Sprint by the end of 2014 and by most counts T-Mobile did. Sprint’s numbers have been inflated for a while now. It is said that Sprint counts pay as you go customers as active subscribers, even if they haven’t accessed the network in over 90 days. T-Mobile, and most of the rest of the industry stops counting inactive subscribers at the 90 day mark.

So T-Mobile has had more active users than Sprint for some time now, even though Sprint’s “official” numbers were higher.

Source: Wikipedia