Sprint, T-Mobile merger gets first green light

The proposed $26-billion merger between wireless operators T-Mobile and Sprint in the US won approval Monday from regulators that vet such deals for national security concerns.

T-Mobile said the deal got the go-ahead from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, and chief executive John Legere added that the goal is to complete it in the first half of 2019.

The merger still needs the approval of the Federal Communications Commission.

Aside from competition issues, the proposed merger has raised eyebrows in the US because Chinese telecom giant Huawei—which Washington accuses of using its products for espionage—has trade ties with both Germany’s Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile’s parent company, and Japan’s SoftBank, which owns Sprint.

US news outlets have reported that to get the merger approved, those parent companies may reconsider their ties with Huawei.

 

Sprint, T-Mobile merger gets first green light

The proposed $26-billion merger between wireless operators T-Mobile and Sprint in the US won approval Monday from regulators that vet such deals for national security concerns. T-Mobile said the deal got the go-ahead from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, and chief executive John Legere added that the goal is to complete it in the first half of 2019. The merger still needs the approval of the Federal Communications Commission. Aside from competition issues, the proposed merger has raised eyebrows in the US because Chinese telecom giant Huaweiwhich Washington accuses of using its products for espionagehas trade ties with both Germanys Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobiles parent company, and Japans SoftBank, which owns Sprint. US news outlets have reported that to get the merger approved, those parent companies may reconsider their ties with Huawei.