We’d have to go all the way back to 2010 to find the last rumored merger between Verizon and Vodafone, but the latest crop of rumors are taking speculation to a new extreme. Read more »
Mere weeks after Verizon strongly denied reports that it was planning to take over Vodafone, the U.S. carrier is now rumored to be planning a buyout of Voda’s share in Verizon Wireless. Read more »
MetroPCS has delayed the final shareholder vote necessarily to finalize its merger with T-Mobile USA. Fearing rejection, T-Mo owner DT is offering up a new deal with better terms. Read more »
The European Union approved the merger of Random House and Penguin without conditions on Friday, saying it doesn’t pose a threat to competition. The U.S. approved the merger in February. Read more at paidContent »
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has become the latest and final regulator to give the nod to the merger, although the resistance of some shareholders may still stand in the way. Read more »
A week after clearing the Justice Department, the T-Mobile-MetroPCS merger gains the FCC stamp of approval without a peep of protest. Now the only thing standing in the deal’s way are Metro’s stockholders. Read more »
MetroPCS’s largest shareholder is now opposed to the merger. Opponents still don’t have the votes to derail it, but if more institutional shareholders join their cause, Metro and DT may be forced to alter the terms. Read more »
According to a regulatory filing, Sprint entertained four possible M&A deals in the last two years apart from Softbank. Dish and MetroPCS are obvious candidates, and the other two could have been T-Mobile and the cablecos. Read more »
According to new reports, Clearwire isn’t part of Softbank’s US plans. Clearwire and Softbank have a lot in common when comes to 4G technology, but that doesn’t mean there’s room for the struggling mobile broadband operator in Sprint and Softbank’s marriage. Read more »
T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray says MetroPCS voice-over-LTE services will definitely be supported post merger as long as customers own VoLTE phones. But, whether the new T-Metro expands VoLTE beyond the Metro footprint, however, remains an open question dictated by demand and logistics. Read more »
A week later, Sprint is now holding off on a counter bid for MetroPCS, choosing instead to see how the Deutsche Telekom’s deal to merge T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS plays out, according to Bloomberg. Read more »
MetroPCS is the most aggressive operator in the country when it comes to VoLTE, but its proposed merger with T-Mobile might put its rollout of mobile VoIP on hold. If the merger passes, the combined T-Metro would no longer face the same capacity constraints. Read more »
T-Mobile’s aims for merging with MetroPCS are pretty clear: to harvest the regional carrier’s spectrum to bulk up its LTE network in key cities. But T-Mo wants to hold onto as many of Metro’s 9.3 million customers as possible. Can it have it both ways? Read more »
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Combining T-Mobile and MetroPCS — two carriers with completely incompatible network technologies — defies reason. According to the financial media, the deal is set to happen, but it will be a disaster in the making. Read more »
Vodafone and O2 are joining forces in Britain to share their grid and try to roll out 4G services faster than planned. It’s being painted as a great deal for consumers — but it’s actually being driven by the actions of their rivals. Read more »
AT&T has proven many times in the last few months that it just can’t let its failed acquisition of T-Mobile go, but on Friday its bitterness turned to vindictiveness, delivering a big “I told you so” to its critics after T-Mobile announced 1,900 layoffs. Read more »
Ericsson having successfully bagged BelAir Networks, Ruckus Wireless now has a big target painted on its flank. As Ericsson’s competitors look to integrate Wi-Fi much more deeply into their mobile network portfolios, buying Ruckus would be the easiest way for them get there. Read more »
T-Mobile USA may have had a horrible fourth quarter while its merger with AT&T suffered its death throes, but the operator is definitely taking advantage of the aftermath. T-Mobile is using the breakup fee and spectrum won from AT&T to build an LTE network in 2013. Read more »
Although the goal for most startup founders might be to build your company’s value, many companies are inadvertently taking steps to kill it. Marty Wolf, the founder of Martinwolf M&A advisors, explains the 5 things you need to avoid. Read more »
After its failed merger with AT&T, T-Mobile’s break-up fee included some choice 4G spectrum it will use to bulk up its HSPA+ network. In a map submitted by a GigaOM reader, you can see exactly where T-Mobile gains new airwaves and how much. Read more »
As the dust settles on 2011′s biggest deal-that-never-was, it’s worth taking a closer look at the exit payout that makes Tiger Woods $100 mi… Read more at paidContent »
Deutsche Telekom has revealed the details of its breakup fee now that the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile is officially dead. T-Mobile gets: one check for $3 billion, one nationwide roaming agreement, and 128 individual spectrum licenses — everything it needs to build a better HSPA+ network. Read more »
The judge hearing the Department of Justice’s lawsuit against AT&T’s planned takeover of T-Mobile has agreed to give the two parties a month to figure out if they can salvage the $39 billion deal. The court will revisit the case on Jan 18. Read more »
The Justice Department has sent a clear signal to AT&T that it doesn’t like its tactics as the operator tries to buy T-Mobile. The DOJ is seeking a halt all court proceedings until AT&T resubmits its FCC merger application, potentially putting the deal in limbo. Read more »
The FCC has accepted AT&T’s request to withdraw its T-Mobile merger petition, allowing it to resubmit its application if it can overcome the DOJ’s antitrust lawsuit. But the FCC didn’t let AT&T get off without releasing its report condemning the merger for all to see. Read more »
AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile seems all but dead. If the deal falls through mobile operators stand to gain or lose depending on which of side of the battle lines the stand. The biggest losers, however, aren’t necessarily AT&T and T-Mobile. Read more »
Following the FCC’s decision to send the $39-billion proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile USA to an administrative hearing, AT&T has withdrawn its application to combine its spectrum with T-Mobile’s from the regulatory agency. Additionally, it said it will take a $4 billion charge against earnings. Read more »
Verizon dodged a bullet on Tuesday when the FCC denounced AT&T-Mo. No conditional approval means no new regulations to haunt Verizon’s own consolidation plans in the future. Now Verizon needs its archival AT&T to throw in the towel before it can do any more damage. Read more »
Sprint’s lawsuit to stop the proposed merger between AT&T (NYSE: T) and T-Mobile went before a federal judge today. One antitrust expert exp… Read more at paidContent »
The Federal Communications Commission has joined those questioning Ma Bell about its stated benefits of its purchase of T-Mobile. The agency on Thursday sent AT&t letter inquiring about the number of jobs AT&T said would be created by the merger. Read more »
U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Huvelle has set February 13, 2012 as the trial date for the the DOJ’s challenge to AT&T’s proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile. The judge made the decision Wednesday after meeting with the various parties, including competitors. Read more »
The attorneys general of seven states joined the Justice Department’s suit today to block AT&T’s proposed buy of T-Mobile, citing worries about competition. Together these state represent a third of the American population. So what does that mean for the deal? Read more »
The idea that AOL might want to merge with Yahoo — as a news report on Friday said it does — isn’t surprising, since the company has tried to arrange a similar deal at least twice. The only question is which metaphor for failure should apply. Read more »
AT&T filed its response to the DOJ lawsuit that attempts to stop Ma Bell’s acquisition of T-Mobile, and the response can be summed up as: T-Mobile is a loser, but if we can take it over, it’s a win for customers who will get better service. Read more »
Just because the Department of Justice and Sprint are suing to stop AT&T from buying T-Mobile, doesn’t mean the deal is dead. Analyst firm Strategy Analytics today said it thinks the deal could still happen if AT&T sells off some of its spectrum. Read more »
After the Department of Justice surprised pretty much everyone by suing to stop AT&T from acquiring T-Mobile, the nation’s No. 2 carrier isn’t taking defeat lying down. It has vowed to fight the suit in a statement released this morning. Read more »
AT&T, on Thursday somehow managed to file a document relating to its T-Mobile acquisition that wasn’t redacted, which noted that it would have to spend $3.8 billion to cover rural areas with its planned LTE network. Read more »
At a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on AT&T’s proposed purchase of T-Mobile, support was tepid for the merger. And most support associated with the deal was conditioned to a point where the FCC would be put in charge of regulating prices, speeds and perhaps access to devices. Read more »
Telecom giant AT&T dropped a bombshell on Sunday when it announced that it plans to acquire competitor T-Mobile for $39 billion, provided the deal is approved by federal regulators. Here’s what some bloggers, technology analysts, former regulators and other observers are saying about the deal. Read more »
AOL’s reported interest in merging with Yahoo seems more like a desperation move or a Hail Mary pass than any kind of coherent strategy for success on the part of either company. Neither has shown any evidence that it understands the new realities of the web. Read more »
