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The deal will be cleared by the FCC in late September and is expected to be formally ratified shortly after
America’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is set to officially give its approval for the proposed merger between T-Mobile and Sprint to go ahead, at the Commissions next meeting on the 26th September.
FCC Chairman, Ajit Pai, a long-time supporter of the deal, circulated a draft order on Wednesday, recommending the deal be approved. The draft order now paves the way for the FCC to officially vote on the deal at its meeting next month.
“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,” Pai said in a statement.
“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.”
Today, I circulated an order that would approve, subject to conditions, the proposed merger of T-Mobile and Sprint. The deal would advance fast #5G across the country, help close #digitaldivide, and put critical mid-band spectrum to use. My full statement: https://t.co/fBKvLnPgmm pic.twitter.com/21r3Us9cUG
— Ajit Pai (@AjitPaiFCC) August 14, 2019
Initially, the FCC raised concerns over the lack of competition the merger would create in the pay-as-you-go market, but the divestiture of the pair’s pre-pay assets to Dish has helped to allay these concerns.
The deal has already been given the green light by the US’ Department of Justice, with official FCC approval being the final hurdle before the deal can be formally ratified.
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T-Mobile and Sprint’s merger will be huge wake up call for AT&T and Verizon
