Lots of Potential Buyers for T-Mobile if they Want to Leave the US Market

[Commentary] One of the recurring myths perpetrated by the supporters of the AT&T-T-Mobile merger is that AT&T is the only viable purchaser of T-Mobile, whose parent company Deutsche Telekom (DT) has announced its intention to pull out of the US market.

Let's start with the facts. First, it's not a foregone conclusion that T-Mobile will leave the US market especially if, as we expect, the merger will be denied. Second, there are many potential buyers for T-Mobile other than "a speculative offer, Sprint or AT&T." Whether AT&T offered the most money or was the most financially healthy suitor for T-Mobile is irrelevant if the merger between the two companies would violate antitrust law. Several antitrust experts, including the American Antitrust Institute and two antitrust lawyers have already concluded that this merger cannot pass muster.

So, what if the deal is rejected? 1) A still-profitable T-Mobile would receive an infusion of $3 billion cash, $2 billion worth of spectrum and $1 billion roaming rights. 2) Other potential buyers could arise including: CenturyLink, the largest cable firms (Comcast, Cablevision, Time Warner and Cox), or foreign investors (Vodafone (UK), Celicom israel, Partner Communications (Israel), China Mobile and América Móvil (Mexico).