It’s official: T-Mobile and Sprint have merged to create the New T-Mobile.
After years of trying to merge, T-Mobile and Sprint have finally sealed the deal, completing their long-awaited merger on April 1. The two companies went through an arduous process of gaining approval from the FCC and DOJ, only to face a lawsuit from a coalition of states intent on stopping the merger. Ultimately, the companies were successful in court, with the judge ruling in favor of the merger.
With the merger complete, the U.S. wireless landscape is entering new territory. Rather than two strong competitors, followed by a distant third and fourth, there are now three strong competitors. The New T-Mobile is particularly well-positioned to compete with Verizon and AT&T, thanks to the spectrum it now has as a result of the deal. The carrier already had ample low-band spectrum, which it is using to power its nationwide 5G network. It also has quite a bit of high-band, mmWave spectrum that is used to power the fastest type of 5G. The merger with Sprint now gives T-Mobile a plethora of mid-range spectrum, which offers the coveted middle ground between low-band’s range and penetration vs mmWave’s high speeds. As a result, it’s safe to say the 5G wars are T-Mobile’s to lose.
Simultaneously, T-Mobile also announced the completion of its long-planned transition from John Legere to Mike Sievert as CEO.
“During this extraordinary time, it has become abundantly clear how vital a strong and reliable network is to the world we live in. The New T-Mobile’s commitment to delivering a transformative broad and deep nationwide 5G network is more important and more needed than ever and what we are building is mission-critical for consumers,” said Mike Sievert, president and CEO of T-Mobile. “With this powerful network, the New T-Mobile will deliver real choice and value to wireless and home broadband customers and double down on all the things customers have always loved about the Un-carrier. T-Mobile has been changing wireless for good — and now we are going to do it on a whole new level!”