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T-Mobile is trying to get swept off their feet by a company willing to take on their burdens, and a new candidate has arrived. The Wall Street Journal reports Dish and T-Mobile are in talks about a possible merger deal.
The talks are only in the “formative” stages, according to them, so there’s nothing concrete being planned just yet, but the fact that the two sides are talking is still quite a big deal. The deal stands to be lucrative for both sides.
Dish Network has been trying to swallow up a carrier for a few years now, with a failed attempt at Sprint and Clearwire being their biggest highlights. Meanwhile, T-Mobile’s plans to to sell themselves off to another carrier or any telecommunications company in need of a solid cellular division are well documented, particularly in 2011’s failed merger between them and AT&T.
For its part, Dish was interested in T-Mobile even before the AT&T deal failed. The company expressed their interest in taking a swing at T-Mobile if they were still on the market after antitrust investigations and trials, so you could say this has been a long time coming.
We’re not sure how the market would react to such a proposal, but we can’t seem to draw up a scenario where the Justice Department would shoot it down on fears of anti-competition and antitrust. Neither company has a significant stronghold in their respective industries, so fears that the merger would create a monopoly would seemingly be unwarranted.
One interesting detail Wall Street Journal did pick up on was that John Legere would be named CEO of the new company should they join forces, while Dish’s CEO Charlie Ergen would serve as chairman of the board.
We aren’t surprised the company would want Legere at the head of the beast considering he has turned T-Mobile around in a big way these past couple of years. He’s also the sort of edgy and bold CEO companies yearn for in this day and age (particularly due to his strength in appealing to the common consumer).
“Plans” are all they have right now, though, and there’s likely a lot of details to hammer out before we see anything official. Heck, it’s just as likely that they might call the whole thing off before they even get to inking some legal paper.
I wouldn’t have an issue with it. I love Dish, i’m on AT&T but with all the spectrum Dish owns, it would do nothing but help T mobile and might finally make they have better coverage. I’d try them out.
T-Mobile is doing extremely well and John Legere is an excellent CEO. This only makes T-Mobile better in many more aspects.
I can imagine some type of deal. If you get DISH, you get some crazy discount on your Tmo bill, and/or vice-versa.
Anyone know where Dish’s spectrum holdings are? Would the simply augment places where T-Mobile has bandwidth or does it cover regions where T-Mobile is weak (e.g. rural areas)?
Good question. I know they have a lot of spectrum.
They have 700mhz in some areas which will help coverage reach but the big win for tmobile is all the capacity they would attain and they would be the undisputed king of bandwidth.
Forget Mobile wireless…TMo running a cable-based ISP could be very interesting.
Imagine: The Un-ISP.
That’s what I kept thinking too… Hell, I might actually go to dish if something like this happens lol
Right now I have no isp. Time Warner almost has a monopoly at my address and they are refusing to install it here. My only other option is dish network buy their plans and data caps suck. This would be awesome if T-Mobile merging with them could offer a real isp package.
get coverage in 38221 and i’m back in a new york minute.
do it!
Dish-Mobile
In other news Twix and Tmobile decides to merge and make John Ceo of that pact as well. Stay tuned for twix tmobile ?.
Twix-Mobile! He’ll be on Twitter bashing on Kit-Kat, M&M’s and Snickers in no time ?
“Merger” Cut the crap and tell me who’s buying out who. In the business world. There are RARELY “mergers” One buys out another. That’s just PR friendly talk to avoid the topic of a “monopoly” it doesn’t sound as bad if 2 companies “join forces” compared to one being bought out and disappearing.
With the terms that John would be the new CEO of both makes me assume that this is more T-Mobile taking more of Dish than the other way around
Not necessarily. If dish forks out the money for controlling financial stake from DT then gives tmobile access to dish’s spectrum while tmobile is the surviving brand. That’s a merger in my book since there’s a give and take for both entities.
T-Mobile is the only carrier I have ever had..since about 2003, in high school. I like what John is doing. I’ve been rooting for Tmo for the past few years as John shakes up the industry.
Bring on more spectrum!
As long as my unlimited plan doesn’t disappear I’m alright with this. I would like to try dish out. I would much rather see an American company buy/merge with T-Mobile. Merica!
I’d be with this. I’ve been with T-Mobile for 10 years, through the good and the bad, and I was definitely against the at&t deal, but Legere has done nothing but revolutionize the brand since then, and the only thing they need right now is funding and expansion, both of which would be bolstered through Dish.
Ewwwww
Why?
T-Mobile TV, or T-Dish, or T- TV or T- EVERYTHING!!!!!!!
Legere is the man: fair to his customers, fair to his shareholders.
I’m behind this 1,000%
Now if only they could get in the terrestrial broadband market
Yuck dish blows
If Legere as CEO, is as aggressive with Dish Network initiatives as he has been with T-Mobile, I could get on board with this merger. I would love to see changes like al a carte channels and let pricing for long term customers.
Cheap Prepaid Plans w/ Cord Cutting cable FTW!!!!!
John Legere 2016