A potential $6 billion deal with Dish Network could pave the way for approval of the T-Mobile-Sprint merger.
Bloomberg reported that Dish is nearing an agreement to pay T-Mobile and Sprint at least $6 billion for wireless spectrum and wireless service Boost Mobile.
T-Mobile and Sprint have a pending industry-changing $26.5 billion merger that is still under consideration by the Justice Department. Selling off Boost has been floated as one potential concession to gain approval. Amazon has been previously rumored as a potential buyer.
Reports surfaced in April that shed light on how officials weren’t buying the companies’ arguments that a combined T-Mobile and Sprint will increase competition with larger rivals AT&T and Verizon and up U.S. competitiveness in the next generation of wireless technology known as 5G.
Bloomberg reported last month that officials wanted T-Mobile and Sprint to set the table for a new wireless carrier, complete with its own network, as a concession for approval of the merger. That fourth carrier could be Dish, given the latest reports.
Last week, a state attorneys general coalition filed a lawsuit to stop the deal, arguing that the merger will harm consumers and raise prices by at least $4.5 billion a year.
FCC Chair Ajit Pai recently gave his approval of the merger thanks to commitments from the two wireless companies that included a divestment of Boost Mobile.
In April 2018, T-Mobile and Sprint agreed to merge and create a $146 billion company under the T-Mobile name.
