Dish Network in Merger Talks With T-Mobile US

Apparently, Dish Network is in talks to merge with T-Mobile USA, a deal that would accelerate a wave of consolidation across the US media and communications industries.

The two sides are in close agreement about what the combined company would look like, with Dish Chief Executive Charlie Ergen becoming the company’s chairman and his T-Mobile counterpart, John Legere, serving as the combined company’s CEO. Tougher questions about a purchase price and the mix of cash and stock that would be used to pay for a deal remain unresolved. A Dish deal with T-Mobile would combine the country’s second-largest satellite TV operator with its fourth-largest wireless carrier. It would also address major strategic issues for both sides. Dish lacks the robust broadband Internet service that cable companies can lean on to offset a declining TV business. It also has amassed billions of dollars of wireless licenses but hasn’t built the cellular network needed to put them to use. T-Mobile’s wireless service would help address both needs. T-Mobile, meanwhile, has added subscribers at an industry-leading rate over the past several quarters, but still is dwarfed by much bigger rivals AT&T and Verizon. Dish’s wireless licenses would give T-Mobile a path to boosting the capacity of its network.