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Sprint Reportedly Bowing Out of T-Mobile Bid (was "Sprint offer" and "Iliad" threads)


thepowerofdonuts

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I wish sprint would go after the smaller carriers for now.  US Cellular for one.

 

Maybe they will after the FCC and DOJ smacks them hard enough to realize they won't approve of a merger that eliminates a major competitor....

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I wish sprint would go after the smaller carriers for now.  US Cellular for one.

Maybe they will after the FCC and DOJ smacks them hard enough to realize they won't approve of a merger that eliminates a major competitor....

 

This is not Sprint's doing; it rests with Softbank.  If anybody gets smacked here, it is the short Japanese guy.

 

AJ

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This is not Sprint's doing; it rests with Softbank.  If anybody gets smacked here, it is the short Japanese guy.

 

AJ

 

Funny thing is I suspect his tall American friend warned him about it too, and he still didn't listen.

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The rest of us tall Americans are going to be the ones to feel the impact, though. That's the problem. 

 

Here's to hoping that Masa sees the writing on the wall and instead focuses on making the difficult changes needed to restore Sprint to being an industry leader again.

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The rest of us tall Americans are going to be the ones to feel the impact, though. That's the problem.

.

That "impact" that us Americans stand to weather as sprint customers is one of the best catalysts softbank has to justify a merger. Sprint struggles to compete and make money. If dreams of 4 healthy competitors prevent approving a guarantee of 3 healthy competitors, then bloodshed is music to Son's argument in litigation

 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

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The T-Mobile name retained (and the Sprint name presumably retired)? Legere, Ray, Carter, et al in, and the Sprint executive team out? DT retaining a sizable minority ownership? Sprint, not TMUS spectrum first to be offered up at the divestment altar? It's getting harder to tell who's buying whom here...

 

I think it will happen any moment now. BTW, the FCC and DOJ objections are not about the merger's impact on consumers. It is all about the impact of the merger on the net proceeds from the AWS-3 and 600MHz auctions. But in order for them to sell it to the public, there will have to be some concessions, spectrum swaps, etc.

 

I don't think that funding FirstNet is their exclusive concern. There have been many regulators, particularly in the Justice Department, that have been adamant for several years now (at least since the failed AT&T/TMUS buyout) that they want to maintain 4 national carriers for the sake of competition. The Herfindahl index for the industry is already fairly high.

 

I can see the FCC caving, but I think it's likely that the DoJ will take this to court if necessary. Win or lose, that will be quite the headache for SoftBank and Sprint. Above all, whatever one's opinion of the merger, I think it would be foolish to announce it before next year's incentive auctions. If they do that, Son can say good-bye to the spectrum reserve, and hence a lot of that Alibaba cash, as he'll have to outbid the duopoly directly. Off the bat, the merged entity would be starting off on the wrong financial foot.

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The T-Mobile name retained (and the Sprint name presumably retired)? Legere, Ray, Carter, et al in, and the Sprint executive team out? DT retaining a sizable minority ownership? Sprint, not TMUS spectrum first to be offered up at the divestment altar? It's getting harder to tell who's buying whom here...

 

 

I don't think that funding FirstNet is their exclusive concern. There have been many regulators, particularly in the Justice Department, that have been adamant for several years now (at least since the failed AT&T/TMUS buyout) that they want to maintain 4 national carriers for the sake of competition. The Herfindahl index for the industry is already fairly high.

 

I can see the FCC caving, but I think it's likely that the DoJ will take this to court if necessary. Win or lose, that will be quite the headache for SoftBank and Sprint. Above all, whatever one's opinion of the merger, I think it would be foolish to announce it before next year's incentive auctions. If they do that, Son can say good-bye to the spectrum reserve, and hence a lot of that Alibaba cash, as he'll have to outbid the duopoly directly. Off the bat, the merged entity would be starting off on the wrong financial foot.

The DOJ can only object to the merger on antitrust grounds. There are no anti-trust grounds to this merger. 

 

The reduced competition for spectrum is a major consideration in the AWS-3 auction. If TMO/Sprint merge, they will not bid in the AWS auction. If they don't bid, then I foresee AT&T and Verizon splitting the FDD spectrum in the auction just bidding the reserve price, with Dish picking up the TDD uplink for a song. So that possibly would force the FCC to set the reserve price high.

 

They will most definitely bid in the 600Mhz auction. 

Edited by bigsnake49
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7 down is about what they advertise. You're aware of the limitations of 5x5 and that it can't go as fast. That's exactly what you're seeing there. The limitations of what they have to work with.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk

 

Even with the limitations of 5x5, I usually get 12-20 mbps with blips in the 27-33 mbps range in the mornings whenever I do a speedtest to check. Now at Disney, I have seen only 7-10 mbps usually since it's more crowded. I guess it just depends on the area.

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Even with the limitations of 5x5, I usually get 12-20 mbps with blips in the 27-33 mbps range in the mornings whenever I do a speedtest to check. Now at Disney, I have seen only 7-10 mbps usually since it's more crowded. I guess it just depends on the area.

I typically don't see much higher than 8 mb down over in my area. Probably due to the high population of people...However, when I go to my friends house who is literally 1000 ft from a tower, I can easily get over 15+. I don't think 5x5 is as bad as people make it out to be, except in places like chicago and new york where the population density is insane...

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With all of this considered, I still hope Sprint keeps it's brand name. It's not like T-Mobile has a great perception of coverage. It would seem like a shot in the foot to be known as T-Mobile to the many "but Verizon and AT&T have the better coverage that I need"  crowd.

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Sprint's perception is self-evident, Dave. I would also posit that Sprint's rural coverage isn't that much greater than TMo at this point.

 

Small sample size alert, I live in a town with limited Sprint coverage with most of the town on 1X roaming on the remains of Alltel here that got swallowed by AT&T. TMobile has EDGE. A lot of the AT&T in-building coverage here is still EDGE, because AT&T hasn't yet enabled 850 MHz UMTS/HSPA+. Verizon here is so over crowded that they now have to burn AWS spectrum. The only thing giving people a cheaper choice in Chester is AT&T choosing to get into a price war with TMo. The Death Star has said that LTE would be here by the end of summer.

 

What's Sprint's perception here? Guess.

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I know perception depends on the area you are in. Here, T-Mobile doesn't have very strong LTE and voice drops often. The Sprint store is always packed, you always have to wait in line to talk to someone and I hear people talking about joining Framily plans often while out and about. At least in my area, the Sprint brand is good.

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I know perception depends on the area you are in. Here, T-Mobile doesn't have very strong LTE and voice drops often. The Sprint store is always packed, you always have to wait in line to talk to someone and I hear people talking about joining Framily plans often while out and about. At least in my area, the Sprint brand is good.

That's your small sample size. I'm glad Sprint is viable there. More competitors are good! That said, take a look at the national native maps of Sprint and T-Mobile and it's clear they have work to do.

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If tmo keeps 15%, softbank has 52% can the feds even block this? They can block the merger, but couldnt softbank still own 52% of tmus and then let it still run as tmo until the doj softens up, then merge and buy the remaining 15%????

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If tmo keeps 15%, softbank has 52% can the feds even block this? They can block the merger, but couldnt softbank still own 52% of tmus and then let it still run as tmo until the doj softens up, then merge and buy the remaining 15%????

I think they can challenge, because ownership over a certain percentage triggers the review. You don't have to own 100% of something for the DOJ to come after you. Softbank doesn't own 100% of Sprint, just a majority stake (about 80% IIRC).

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I think they can challenge, because ownership over a certain percentage triggers the review. You don't have to own 100% of something for the DOJ to come after you. Softbank doesn't own 100% of Sprint, just a majority stake (about 80% IIRC).

Yes, but couldn't softbank own each? Without "merging" them??  Sell off parts to dish then merge the 2 say next  year and be approved with dish entering? 

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LOL... Lets say tmo/sprint merger gets approved..... As well as comcast, and Att deals..

 

What would would then stop masa from buying Dish?....... 

If this merger goes I def seem something between these 2.. swapping spectrum, bigger partnerships... maybe not right away but in the next couple of years.

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T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS) CEO John Legere again intimated that the carrier would benefit through larger scale, likely via a merger with Sprint (NYSE: S), and served warning to the company's larger competitors about a potential deal.

....................................................................................................................................................................
 
"If you took T-Mobile and gave it a huge amount of spectrum and the economic wherewithal and the scale to take on what we're doing, if I was AT&T or Verizon," I would be worried, Legere said, though he used a more profane version of that sentiment.
Edited by bigsnake49
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T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS) CEO John Legere again intimated that the carrier would benefit through larger scale, likely via a merger with Sprint (NYSE: S), and served warning to the company's larger competitors about a potential deal.

....................................................................................................................................................................
 
"If you took T-Mobile and gave it a huge amount of spectrum and the economic wherewithal and the scale to take on what we're doing, if I was AT&T or Verizon," I would be worried, Legere said, though he used a more profane version of that sentiment.

 

Sounds like he is allll for it!  Must want hesses' 47 million deal as well

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I mean, lets just be honest: if tmo is an inevitable sale, a sprint tie up is the best chance Legere has for ascention and the same freedom to be a maverick as tmo has enjoyed. A Dish buyout would leave them answering to the penny king Uncle Charlie. Ouch. A comcast buy would leave him answering to a red league of execs, if they even kept him or anything from tmo.

 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

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Of course John wants Sprint.

 

In one corner, we have Masa, who has pretty much promised him a $41 million payout, continued salary after that, and a blank check on the network side to fight Verizon and AT&T. In the other we have Charlie Ergen, a notorious control freak, and we have the accountants and financiers from Wharton, the Roberts family, who run Comcast.

 

Who wouldn't want Sprint over that?

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The merger is a foregone conclusion. The only thing that remains is the concessions. Here is my list:

 

1. Legere and Ray assume the same positions in the new company (NewCo)

2. NewCo does a spectrum swap with Dish. Dish gets EBS, Newco gets Dish's spectrum.

3. NewCo hosts Dish's spectrum fro fixed broadband and both Dish and Newco can sell to their customers. 

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I would disagree with the notion that Sprints Rural coverage is not much better than T-mobiles. T-Mo is almost non existant. I usally do not have an issue with Sprint rural service as long as it is not a known non service area like the dakotas or wyoming.

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