DOJ provides boost to Sprint, T-Mobile merger chances

The Department of Justice believes three national 5G wireless providers are needed to ensure robust competition, a position that provides a big boost to the proposed $26.5 billion merger of Sprint and T-Mobile. The No. 3 and No. 4 wireless carriers have said they don’t have the finances independently to quickly bankroll an expensive rollout of the next generation in wireless technology — leaving just Verizon and AT&T to offer a 5G network. After studying the Sprint-T-Mobile proposal for more than three months, the Department of Justice, while not yet making a decision on the merger, now believes three carriers are needed to establish a truly competitive marketplace, according to a source with direct knowledge of the thinking within the DOJ.