Love is in the air: M&A speculation heats up as FCC's quiet period is set to lift

The Federal Communications Commission will lift its so-called “quiet period” on April 27 following the wrap-up of the incentive auction of 600 MHz spectrum, and analysts and industry insiders expect the mergers and acquisitinos talk to heat up quickly. The CEOs of Verizon, T-Mobile and SoftBank have all voiced their interest in potential tie-ups, and Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure noted that he was in Tokyo to meet with the parent company and discuss the carrier’s business. Speculation of major tie-ups has increased in recent months with the election of Donald Trump in the midst of the auction.

While it’s too early to know exactly how regulatory agencies might react to any specific deal, analysts and executives generally agree that they’ll demonstrate a far lighter regulatory touch under President Trump than they did under President Barack Obama. Meanwhile, the US wireless market has grown increasingly competitive, as evidenced by the launch of unlimited-data plans by all four major carriers. The market will only get more heated later this year as cable companies such as Comcast and Charter launch wireless service. Meanwhile, Dish Network—which sits on a pile of unused spectrum—continues to plot its course onto the dance floor.