U.S. regulators could approve the T-Mobile-Sprint merger thanks to MVNOs owned by cable firms

On April 29th, T-Mobile and Sprint announced a merger that could turn the nation's top four carriers into the top three. Both companies have draped the deal in the American Flag, stating that for America to remain the leader in 5G technology, the deal must close. For that to happen, the transaction must be approved by two U.S. regulatory agencies, the FCC and the FTC.
In a filing related to the merger proposal, T-Mobile said that the desire by Comcast and Charter to enter the business of providing wireless service reveals "the intensity of current competition in the sector." On the other hand, Gene Kimmelman, who is president of the Public Knowledge policy group, says that Comcast is not selling Xfinity Mobile to anyone who is not a Comcast video or broadband customer. He says that since Comcast is only marketing Xfinity Mobile to those subscribing to its other services, the MVNO is not really a competitive choice to the 80 million households that T-Mobile and Sprint fight for. Kimmelman is saying that Xfinity Mobile is not really bringing more competition to the industry.
While T-Mobile and Sprint say that their merger could prevent Verizon and AT&T from hiking their prices, those opposed to the deal say that if T-Mobile and Sprint merge, prices in the industry will rise and innovation will start to slow. T-Mobile, at present, is the most innovative company in the business.
The FCC and FTC have plenty of data they can use to help them decide whether or not to allow the merger to go through. Both T-Mobile and Sprint expect the merger to close in the first quarter of next year.
source: SeattleTimes
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1. Not_Amused321
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