Friday, March 29, 2024

FCC approves T-Mobile – MetroPCS deal, deems the merger will ‘serve the public interest’

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FCC approves TMobile, MetroPCS deal, deems the merger to 'serve the public interest'

FCC head Julius Genachowski has made it official: Deutsche Telekom can proceed with its acquisition of MetroPCS. News of the planned mobile marriage first arrived this past October, setting the stage for a more competent wireless carrier alternative in the US — an arrangement that would also give DT a majority stake (74-percent). Now, with regulatory hurdles firmly out of the way, this newly created corporate entity (which will assume the T-Mobile US branding) will be able to combine all PCS, AWS-1 and 700MHz spectrum licenses across 248 Cellular Market Areas.

Citing the competitive benefits it would achieve on “both the local and national levels,” the commission’s given a thumbs up to the transaction, noting that any potential service overlaps or public interest harm are outweighed by the possibility of a greater LTE buildout and the “deployment of a more robust, national network” for the nation’s number four operator. According to the terms of the deal, both MetroPCS and T-Mobile will retain their branding and continue to operate as separate business units in their respective markets, with the potential to expand their reach. All that’s left now is for MetroPCS shareholders to vote on the deal next month, giving it the final sign off. FCC chair Genachowski has issued a statement extolling the virtues of the deal, which you can find just after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, T-Mobile

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Source: FCC

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