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Report: Regulators Not Jazzed About T-Mobile, Sprint Merger

 & Chloe Albanesius Executive Editor, News

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If Sprint and T-Mobile go ahead with rumored plans to merge, it appears that regulators will not greet the deal with open arms.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, Sprint executives met with Department of Justice officials to discuss a possible T-Mobile deal, but "got a cool reception."

The news service said that Softbank - which paid $20.1 billion in 2012 for a 70 percent stake in Sprint - has been speaking with T-Mobile parent company Deutsche Telekom AG in an effort to resolve any issues that might derail a deal. An actual agreement or announcement, though, could be months away.

And while Bloomberg notes that "investors and analysts have been calling for more consolidation in the industry," not everyone agrees - in particular, PCMag's lead mobile analyst, Sascha Segan. When rumors of the deal first emerged, he outlined six reasons why a deal between Sprint and T-Mobile would be a bad idea, and chief among them is their incompatible networks.

There's also the fact that T-Mobile has been doing rather well in recent months, thanks to innovative programs and outspoken CEO John Legere. T-Mobile's decision to drop contracts and become the un-carrier has prompted rivals like AT&T and even Sprint to revamp plans and offerings, which shows that competition works, Segan said.

When asked at CES about the possibility of a Sprint merger, Legere did not come right out and say he was against it, but suggested that if the companies merge, they would have to do so with T-Mobile USA in charge.

There was also talk about Dish buying T-Mobile, which Segan said would be better than Sprint, but still not ideal. For more of his thoughts on the deal, check out PCMag Live in the video below.

The last time two of the big four wireless carriers tried to merge - AT&T and T-Mobile in 2011 - it was a major fight in D.C., with AT&T eventually throwing in the towel after pushback from the FCC and Justice Department. Ironically, T-Mobile got a nice chunk of "break-up fee" change when that deal went south, enabling it to innovate and become the "un-carrier."

About Our Expert

Chloe Albanesius

Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

My Experience

I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

My Areas of Expertise

Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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