Various news agencies are reporting Softbank Group has reached a broad agreement with T-Mobile USA to merge its Sprint division. This has been a longtime objective for Softbank and the merger has the potential to create a group that could rival America's top two wireless carriers.
The companies are currently working out details and an announcement could come as early as later this month. Any merger plan would still need approval by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice.
T-Mobile ranks third among U.S. wireless carriers, followed by Sprint in fourth. The merger would bring together over 130 million subscribers. The combined subscriber base would rival second-ranked AT&T and place them well within reach of market leader Verizon.
SoftBank and T-Mobile withdrew merger plans three years ago when they met with resistance from the FCC. Prospects for consolidation among carriers are much higher now due to the pro-deregulation stance of the current administration.
NEBSA will provide updates regarding the potential merger and its possible impact on the EBS spectrum as more details become available..