Disruptive Competition in 5G: T-Mobile and Sprint Submit Their Public Interest Statement

On April 29, 2018, T-Mobile US and Sprint announced that the companies would merge. In the telecom world, an announcement like this always means at least one thing: a really long engagement. After the companies come to a merger agreement, regulators get a chance to review the deal. By law, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must determine whether the proposed transfer of control will serve the “public interest, convenience, and necessity.” In its review, the FCC may impose and enforce narrowly tailored, transaction-specific conditions that address any potential harms of a transaction. The FCC will signal it is reviewing the terms of the deal when it puts it out for public comment, after which the FCC will start the informal 180-day shot clock on the deal. The Department of Justice will also review the deal, but on narrower, economically-focused antitrust grounds. 

This week, the filing by T-Mobile and Sprint was made official at the FCC. Now, we can take a look at what the companies officially claim will be the public interest benefits.