Dish Is Seeking Better Terms on Boost Deal With T-Mobile

When Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen forged a deal to acquire Boost from Sprint -- the takeover target of T-Mobile US -- the hope was it would lead to a new nationwide wireless carrier. But Ergen, famous for his hard-nosed negotiations, has more demands before the transaction gets done. With the July 1 deadline approaching, T-Mobile and Dish have yet to come to terms on the purchase of Boost, Sprint’s pay-as-you-go wireless business. The divestiture of that unit is a key requirement placed on T-Mobile as a condition of its $26.5 billion takeover of Sprint. Dish is expected to pay about $1.4 billion for Boost. The deal, which includes seven years of access to T-Mobile’s network, was coordinated by Justice Department antitrust chief Makan Delrahim in order to help create a fourth wireless carrier and foster more competition. But there’s at least one hitch, as Ergen said on an earnings call last month: All Boost customers should be able to use T-Mobile’s network.