bigsnake49

7 minutes ago, BlueAngel said:

Hope this is for real, would be nice. Just hope they allow phones that are capable of using T-Mobile's bands to use the network ASAP.

Same here. I do have an MB which helps Sprint's coverage inside my condo but man, they really screwed up the pooch by removing a macro site in my neighborhood where they were colocated with T-Mobile. T-Mobile is fine inside my place as is everybody else. Everyone has a black hole by my side of the bed, except for the MB assisted Sprint.

9 minutes ago, dro1984 said:

Originally sources were saying this merger approval was to be announced today (Wednesday), now I'm reading tomorrow??   I hope we don't have to wait any longer...  I want to know the details and so far no source has leaked it.   

Same here. The devils' in the details. I just hope they did not give up too much to get it approved. I also hope they got a great price for the divested assets. I would have preferred that the matter was settled in the courts because then you have legal clarity instead of the severe arm twisting for political purposes that took place.

1 hour ago, dro1984 said:

Sounds like T-Mo/Sprint will host Dish's spectrum for a good number of years... this is a good thing for us as I think it will help with coverage and depth as I believe we will get to use it too?  (Sprint/T-Mob) customers?   

If they had to give up spectrum to Dish then they gave up too much and I would have let the DOJ sue. On the other hand, exchanging 800MHz SMR spectrum for 600Mhz spectrum down the line might be OK.

So the big hold up is the MVNO agreement that Dish/Boost will get from T-Mobile. Since the terms will be rather beneficial, they don't  want somebody else to acquire Dish/Boost (cable Cos) and inherit the same terms. I have to say that the term of 3 years for the MVNO agreement is rather short.

https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/report-decision-days-could-be-at-hand-for-t-mobile-sprint-deal

I hope they go court personally. It will help clarify the limits of DOJ's powers to force a settlement and whether they have standing to sue under the antitrust laws in this instance. I am totally against spectrum concessions and I am also against any concessions that can come back to hurt T-Mobile.

I am totally surprised that the details of a potential deal between Sprint/T-Mobile, Dish and the DOJ have not leaked. Usually the government leaks like a sieve. Yeah we have heard a broad outline but as they say, the devil is in the details.

I want to hear among other things what if any plans the New T-Mobile has for 700 and 800MHz spectrum. Could they be swapped for Dish's and/or Comcast's 600MHz to simplify T-Mobile spectrum position? A 600/700/800 antenna/RRH has to be a lot more expensive than a 600Mhz one. Or could T-Mobile sell their 700Mhz A block holdings to AT&T since AT&T has some 700MHz A block as well? Or sell 800Mhz to the 850Mhz cellular A side spectrum holders? 

I want to hear that T-Mobile will host Dish's AWS-3 and 600Mhz holdings right away and will split the resulting capacity with Dish. I want to hear what the plan to deploy Dish's AWS-4 spectrum is and who is going to pay for it? I want to hear what the plan is for Dish's 700 block E is? Sell it to AT&T?

As you can see there is a lot of moving parts but if it was up to me the following companies/organizations will come out winners:

1. T-Mobile/Sprint - T-Mobile because now they will have the 5G spectrum they need, Sprint because they now get the network and the competent management they have needed 

2. Dish - they deploy the spectrum they have with a minimum outlay

3. ATT/Verizon - They might get some additional low band spectrum and they no longer have to face low price competitors. On the other hand they will face a stronger/bigger T-Mobile

4. DOJ - They get their 4 carrier market back and they don't get beat in court ala AT&T

5. FCC - They finally get Dish to deploy their spectrum

6. Comcast - get their 600Mhz deployed for very little outlay. I see them possibly being a big player in the CBRS and C-Band strand and pole mounted small cell arena along with other cable cos

They could also be some losers:

1. DOJ - If they overplay their hand and try to extract onerous concessions from T-Mobile. If they decide to sue they could lose big again in the courts

2. Dish - Now they actually have to run a wireless company and compete with behemoths. They better line up some more companies ala Google and Amazon behind them to help finance them but also absorb some of the bandwidth

3. T-Mobile - If they give up too much to get this merger through.

4. Sprint/Softbank - If this merger falls through and they have to finance a competitive network

2 hours ago, dro1984 said:

I read that too.  Those are self-imposed deadlines like I said earlier.   They will probably just be pushed back again as that time approaches.   But that aside, lets hope they get this done before then.  This process has become absurd.

It certainly has become absurd. The 180 day clock has long expired. While it might be a self imposed deadline, it puts pressure on the DOJ to put up or shut up.

2 hours ago, dro1984 said:

I'm still lost on how you come up with the 29th?    The DOJ can take as long as they want from what I know.    What is the 29th?   I don't think there is an automatic approval process... Sprint/T Mob will just fill additional paperwork to extend deadline...if that's what you mean...  They've come this far, I don't see them pulling the plug.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sprint-m-a-tmobile/sprint-t-mobile-push-back-deadline-to-complete-merger-idUSKCN1S51IK

8 minutes ago, RedSpark said:

What happens after July 29th? Is it over at that point? Does Sprint get the breakup fee?

Here’s info on that:

As noted by Axios, Sprint and T-Mobile won’t have to pay a breakup fee if regulators from the FCC or Department of Justice manage to kill the proposed merger. However, according to documents the companies filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, T-Mobile would owe Sprint $600 million if the company decides to walk away from the transaction, among other circumstances.

They consummate the merger. The DOJ can sue to prevent it but if they decide to go that way, they will have a hard time prevailing in court. I don't think Sprint gets the breakup fee unless T-Mobile walks away from the merger.

3 minutes ago, dkyeager said:

The MVNO Ting says they have lost patience with the merger process and are going from T-Mobile to Verizon but keeping Sprint: https://www.fiercewireless.com/operators/mvno-ting-mobile-ends-pact-t-mobile-favor-verizon-citing-merger-uncertainty

Likely spreading out their risks. Doubt the regulators would factor this type of decision into their merger decision at this late date but you never know.

Lots of tough negotiations behind the scenes between T-Mobile. Dish and DOJ. Trying to get it under the wire by July 29th.

2 hours ago, danlodish345 said:

That’s exactly right. And I hope something good comes of this. The last thing I want to see is sprint fade away..And yes but concast does not have much 600 MHz. Obviously there would have to be some type of agreement.


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Just enough to cover their footprint.

2 minutes ago, danlodish345 said:

That’s why I have Comcast LOL unlike Google Comcast actually follows through with things. I get it Comcast is a very hated company. But they do what they say they’re going to do. And I think Comcast may Want to get in on this merger somehow.


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They have some 600MHz that T-Mobile can host for them and they can both share the resulting capacity.

6 minutes ago, chamb said:

Charlie needs help.  Without Sprint and/or T-Mobile help, he will never make a network fly.  Nobody should have to GIVE him anything.

T-mobile should never divest any spectrum. On the other hand they should be forced to host Dish's spectrum for 5 years for commercially reasonable terms and Dish should be given a 5 year term to build a network. They could probably purchase some of Sprint's network assets and or backend systems for a substantial discount.

At his point if I am T-mobile, I would tell the DOJ to pound sand. Try to stop me!

5 hours ago, ingenium said:

 

 

This is now possible with eSIM phones (Pixel 3 and 3a and XL). You just sign in with your Sprint account during setup and that's it. Presumably we'll see eSIM on more phones going forward, now that the next (unreleased) Qualcomm chip is certified for doing eSIM without a separate chip.

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Sprint just needs to update or upgrade their back end systems so that you can just take your sim from one phone to another without having to get a new sim. It is ridiculous that they alone among the 4 national carriers subject you to all this rigamarole. eSIM will just make the whole thing irrelevant. 

3 minutes ago, kct1975 said:

 

 

 

 

Personally I agree with everything you said, but I do think that there might be two additional consessions...

 

2. The DOJ will require Sprint will sell Boost to Dish Wireless for very little or nothing

 

4. TheDOJ will require the New T-Mobile to host Dish's 600Mhz and AWS-3 spectrum right away for free

 

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No and no. They will be on commercially favorable terms but not for free.

Walter Piecyk thinks that the increased concession demands by the DOJ will drive T-Mobile to abandon the merger. So what should Sprint do? Here are my suggestions to upper management:

1. Finish tri-banding all of their sites

2. Get in bed with the rest of the cable cos for small cell deployment

3. Host Dish's and Comcast's 600MHz spectrum holdings in return for capacity

4. Host Dish's midband AWS-3 nd AWS-4 holdings

5. Merge networks and spectrum with T-Mobile but not marketing and administration.

Now personally I think the merger will be approved. FCC/DOJ want Dish's spectrum put in use. It has been laying fallow for a long time. Here's how I think the merger will go down:

1. Dish and Private equity firms will form a wireless company Dish will contribute the spectrum and PE firms the cash. 

2. Sprint will sell Boost to Dish Wireless for let's say $3B

3. There will be not be any divestiture of spectrum

4. The New T-Mobile will host Dish's 600Mhz and AWS-3 spectrum right away for an annual fee

5. Dish network will acquire Sprint network assets and back office assets as they are decommissioned. That will allow them to then host Dish's AWS-4 spectrum and eventually their 600Mhz and AWS-3 spectrum

6. Dish will sell their 700MHz band E to AT&T

As you can see there are a lot of moving parts and so the negotiations are rather complex. Probably why the DOJ is taking so much time. 

Ajit Pai's remarks to the NY Wireless assoc:

“When it comes to mid-band 5G, one of the most critical steps that the FCC can take is to approve the T-Mobile/Sprint transaction,” Pai said in prepared remarks before the New York State Wireless Association. He said that although Sprint has tremendous mid-band spectrum resources, “the record before the FCC makes clear that the company standing alone does not have the capacity to deploy 5G in this spectrum throughout large parts of rural America. On the other hand, if the T-Mobile/Sprint transaction is approved, the combined company will have the capacity to do just that. Indeed, they have committed to the FCC that they will deploy mid-band 5G to 88% of our nation’s population, including two-third of rural Americans. And there would be significant financial penalties if these commitments were not met. We should seize this opportunity to provide 5G to rural America and close the digital divide.”

...................

“Make no mistake about it, government officials trying to block this transaction are working to stop many upstate New Yorkers and other rural Americans from getting access to fast mobile broadband and all of the benefits that come with it,” Pai said. “As former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn recently put it, ‘Particularly for those on the wrong side of the digital divide, this lawsuit by a small number of state attorneys general would reinforce an unacceptable status quo.’

https://www.rcrwireless.com/20190625/policy/fcc-chairman-criticizes-state-ags-lawsuit-to-block-sprint-t-mo-merger

11 minutes ago, Johnner1999 said:

 

 

Yup

And dish doesn’t throw away 20billion in spectrum.


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Well only AWS-4 is in danger. Maybe 700MHz block E. They should sell that to AT&T and get some money towards the purchase of Boost.

This solution is a win-win-win situation for T-Mobile/Dish/FCC/DOJ.

I am hoping there is no spectrum concessions on the part of T-Mobile.

12 hours ago, Johnner1999 said:

Charlie ain’t no dope ha

https://www.tmonews.com/2019/06/dish-fcc-waive-spectrum-use-deadline-t-mobile-sprint-assets/amp/



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From that article, "In this scenario, Dish would provide some spectrum to T-Mobile and then T-Mo would give Dish access to capacity on its network for wireless service. This would enable Dish to offer cellphone service while also saving it some cash since it wouldn’t have to build a network from scratch."

Exactly what I have been saying for a while now. 600MHz and AWS-3 can be deployed right away, AWS-4 will be implemented as part of 5G deployment. Maybe they can convince Comcast to throw in their 600Mhz spectrum. 

According to this article from Reuters, T-Mobile may auction Boost if the rumored Dish $6B deal does not come about. One of the details that might need to be ironed is whether the prospective buyers will be given an infrastructure based MVNO deal where the MVNO has a lot more control over the network. Also there is still a lot of uncertainty over whether the deal will include any spectrum or not. I am totally against spectrum. I am all for T-Mobile to offer to host Dish's 600MHz and AWS-3 spectrum as part of the Boost deal. They can do that with minimum cost. Their AWS-4 spectrum might need some work and can be postponed for later. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sprint-corp-m-a-t-mobile-us-exclusive/exclusive-t-mobile-prepares-for-boost-auction-if-dish-network-talks-stall-sources-idUSKCN1TK34K

3 hours ago, Tengen31 said:

Couldn't they use the existing Sprint infrastructure saving TMO and Sprint the cost of decommissioning?

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And buying some of the network equipment?

1 hour ago, Terrell352 said:

This is major news!!! https://www.fiercewireless.com/tech/ericsson-rolls-out-standalone-5g-nr-software

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Yeah but most carriers will go with the non-standalone NR version.

I usually don't like Moffett but he's right this time about surrendering so much to get a deal done:

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/dishs-rumored-interest-in-purchasing-t-mobilesprint-assets-isnt-sensible-for-anyone-involved-says-analyst-2019-06-17?siteid=yhoof2&yptr=yahoo

If I am Sprint/T-Mobile I will take my chances in the courts. All these concessions defeat the purpose of the merger.