According to a report in today's Wall Street Journal (sub. req.), high-level Deutsche Telekom executives are considering putting T-Mobile USA up for sale. The sale could bring in a much-needed $30 billion on the open market. Vodafone has denied rumors that it is the prospective suitor, and no other names have yet emerged.
Publicly the German telecom giant claims it has no plans to sell the unit, and some Wall Street analysts say it is unlikely that DT would want to rid itself of such a successful division. However, the WSJ's insiders say that T-Mobile's lack of 3G and new competitors in the US (such as cable companies offering bundled services), puts T-Mobile in an unenviable position. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out. - Eli