Sprint and T-Mobile to merge: Complete coverage

After years of fits and starts, Sprint and T-Mobile announced a plan to merge their operations. Here is our complete coverage of this news.

The story of Sprint and T-Mobile's announcement this weekend actually started in November, when merger negotiations between the two companies fell apart:

T-Mobile, Sprint call off merger talks
by Colin Gibbs | Nov 4, 2017
The highly anticipated merger of T-Mobile and Sprint is dead. For now, at least. Read more

The deal seemed dead, until reports suddenly emerged a few weeks ago that the two companies had rekindled discussions:

Sprint, T-Mobile reportedly rekindle merger talks
by Mike Dano | Apr 10, 2018
According to a new report in The Wall Street Journal, Sprint and T-Mobile have restarted merger negotiations. Read more

That, of course, raised the question as to why the companies were trying this again, after two previous failed attempts:

Editor’s Corner—Here are the 6 reasons why T-Mobile and Sprint are in merger discussions again
by Mike Dano | Apr 11, 2018
So, first, let’s all take a deep breath. Yes, T-Mobile and Sprint are reportedly in merger negotiations again. Yes, this is the third time they’ve conducted major merger negotiations. Yes, we’ve been talking about this possible merger since 2013… oh man. Read more

And then, after years of attempts, the companies finally announced an actual merger transaction:

It’s official: T-Mobile and Sprint announce plans to merge
by Mike Dano | Apr 29, 2018
As expected, T-Mobile and Sprint announced plans Sunday to merge in an all-stock transaction. The combined company, dubbed “New T-Mobile,” will be led by T-Mobile’s John Legere as CEO and be headquartered in T-Mobile’s home base of Bellevue, Washington. The companies said they will host a “second headquarters” in Sprint’s home base of Overland Park, Kansas. Read more

That announcement of course sparked a wide range of questions and concerns, which Recon Analytics’ Roger Entner sought to answer:

Industry Voices—Entner: Putting some context behind the T-Mobile, Sprint merger
by Roger Entner | Apr 30, 2018
The parents of T-Mobile and Sprint have finally announced their intentions to merge their U.S. operations in a $59 billion deal. It combined the distant third and fourth largest operators to form a competitor of almost the size of AT&T’s and Verizon’s mobile operation, with the potential to supercharge T-Mobile’s unbroken three-year win record of growing faster than the rest of the industry combined. This merger is nothing less than a T-Mobile takeover, considering that T-Mobile shareholders will own two-thirds of the company and the new T-Mobile management is being led by John Legere and Mike Sievert with the new headquarters being at the old T-Mobile headquarters in Bellevue, Washington. The Kansas City co-headquarters will meet the same fate as the Reston co-headquarters did in the Sprint Nextel merger. Give it a year or two and it’s gone. Read more

Perhaps most importantly, the merger between Sprint and T-Mobile would result in the merger of two wireless networks into one:

A merged Sprint/T-Mobile will shutter 25,000 towers, and Crown Castle will suffer most
by Mike Dano | Apr 30, 2018
In the companies’ merger announcement, management from Sprint and T-Mobile laid out their network merger plan. That plan includes a number of moving parts that analysts believe will affect most of the nation’s major tower companies, mostly Crown Castle. Read more

But it also faces potential challenges from the FCC and DOJ:

What are the chances of the T-Mobile/Sprint merger getting approved? Analysts weigh in
by Mike Dano | Apr 30, 2018
Sprint and T-Mobile finally reached an agreement to merge their operations after years of discussing such a transaction, and the company’s management hopes to consummate the deal by the middle of next year. Read more

And the merger could have implications for other industries, like cable:

Cable faces powerful new 5G competitor with combined Sprint and T-Mobile
by Daniel Frankel | Apr 30, 2018
Already dealing with skittish investors worried about the ability of MSOs to compete with the mounting 5G forces of Verizon—among several other things—cable operators got a brand-new thing to worry about over the weekend when T-Mobile and Sprint announced their $26 billion merger. Read more

Further, the merger would impact the market for software and virtualization:

Virtualization could be key to T-Mobile, Sprint network architecture mashup
by Mike Robuck | Apr 30, 2018
While there are no specifics just yet, look for virtualization to play a key role going forward as Sprint and T-Mobile combine their nationwide networks over the next three years. Read more

But a big part of whether the merger will be successful comes down to a simple matter of timing:

Editor’s Corner—John Legere’s big problem is one of timing
by Mike Dano | Apr 30, 2018
John Legere, the executive tapped to lead the proposed merger between Sprint and T-Mobile, is hoping that the transaction will get an expedited review process. The companies are hoping to close the deal in the first half of next year. Read more

And additional details continue to leak out from coverage of the merger, including a potential breakup fee and what the deal might mean for Nokia, Ericsson and other vendors:

T-Mobile/Sprint odds and ends: Breakup fee, Washington reaction, vendor implications and more
by Mike Dano | May 1, 2018
As the dust settles on Sunday’s news that Sprint and T-Mobile finally reached a merger agreement after years of attempts, additional details are emerging about the drivers behind the transaction, what the carriers are doing to get the deal approved and what the merger might mean for the market’s vendors. Read more

Meantime, Sprint and T-Mobile offered details on their new roaming agreement, and how that might affect Sprint’s VoLTE efforts:

Sprint's roaming agreement with T-Mobile doesn't impact VoLTE rollout
by Monica Alleven | May 1, 2018
T-Mobile’s agreement to provide Sprint with LTE roaming for four years does not appear to be slowing Sprint down in its VoLTE rollout. Read more

But T-Mobile executives said the carrier’s merger with Sprint could change their attitude towards fixed wireless services:

T-Mobile executives change tune on fixed wireless following Sprint merger deal
by Mike Dano | May 1, 2018
T-Mobile executives said that the company’s planned merger with Sprint would position the newly combined company to offer internet services to homes, offices and other locations—a move that would put the company into direct competition with the likes of Comcast, Charter, Verizon and other wired internet service providers. Read more

We'll keep updating this page with relevant stories for the next week or so.