Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Ajit Pai has shared with his colleagues a draft Order that would approve, subject to conditions, the proposed merger between T-Mobile US and Sprint. Addressing his fellow commissioners, Mr Pai wrote: ‘After one of the most exhaustive merger reviews in Commission history, the evidence conclusively demonstrates that this transaction will bring fast 5G wireless service to many more Americans and help close the digital divide in rural areas. Moreover, with the conditions included in this draft Order, the merger will promote robust competition in mobile broadband, put critical mid-band spectrum to use, and bring new competition to the fixed broadband market. I thank our transaction team for the thorough and careful analysis reflected in this draft Order and hope that my colleagues will vote to approve it.’
Last month, satellite TV giant DISH Network agreed to acquire Sprint’s nationwide portfolio of 800MHz spectrum, as well as its pre-paid mobile businesses, including Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile – easing antitrust concerns and paving the way for the long-running USD26 billion merger to close.