Spectrum

[Commentary] The merits of some mergers make for a close case, but the proposed merger between the mobile carriers Sprint and T-Mobile, which would create a new telecommunications behemoth, is not one of them. Basic economics strongly suggests the proposed combination should be dead on arrival, at least if the nation’s antitrust law still stands for competition and lower prices for consumers.

After the announcement T-Mobile would swallow Sprint, here's the reaction.

The boards of Sprint and T-Mobile US struck a $26 billion merger that, if allowed by antitrust enforcers, would leave the US wireless market dominated by three national players. Under the terms of the deal, T-Mobile will exchange 9.75 Sprint shares for each T-Mobile share. T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom will own 42% of the combined company and Sprint parent SoftBank Group will own 27%. The remaining 31% will be held by the public. Deutsche Telekom would also control voting rights over 69% of the new company and appoint nine of its 14 directors.

At a meeting of the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee, David Redl, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration said that the Administration was working on "a spectrum strategy" that should be unveiled "soon," but provided no more details. But that was enough to fire up wireless carriers looking for all the spectrum strategies, and new spectrum, they can get.

Microsoft and Declaration Networks Group are partnering on a project to bring fixed wireless broadband to 65,000 people on Virginia’s eastern shore over the next three years. The Microsoft Declaration Networks deal is part of Microsoft’s Rural Airband initiative, which aims to bring broadband to unserved areas of the U.S. within five years using a mixture of wireless and wireline technology. Declaration Networks Group specialized in bringing broadband to rural areas using fixed wireless broadband.

Comcast and Charter announced a joint venture that will fuel both cable company's' continued move into the mobile broadband ecosystem. The partnership will focus on developing and operating backend systems that support both Xfinity Mobile and Spectrum Mobile, signaling a more committed effort for cable MSO-based mobile offerings. Each company will continue to operate their own mobile brands and their own customer-facing sales and marketing operations.

As a policymaker, I am committed to seeing the US win the 5G race. As with 4G, we have to focus on two things: spectrum and infrastructure. At the Federal Communications Commission, we have already assigned more high-band spectrum for 5G than any country in the world—we’re more than four gigahertz ahead of second-place China.  Cutting regulatory red tape is a big deal because it can flip the business case for thousands of communities. Communities that might have been uneconomical for the private sector to serve, will now get their shot at next-gen networks.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 10, 2018:

[Speech] Over the last three-plus years, the Commission has rightly focused its time and energy to ensure that next-generation, or 5G, networks come to fruition. Why is this so important? It’s about a global race to be the first among many competing nations to 5G. Leading the world in 5G will allow U.S. companies to help shape its future growth, standards, and capabilities – all of which have a tremendous impact on our future economic success.

The Federal Communications Commission has signaled the next spectrum band it is seriously eyeing to free up for advanced telecommunications. The Wireless Telecommunications, International, Public Safety and Homeland Security bureaus said April 19 that it was instituting a temporary freeze on applications for new or modified fixed satellite service earth stations and fixed microwave stations in the 3.7-4.2 GHz spectrum bands (C-band) to "preserve the current landscape" as it looks into possibly allowing mobile broadband and more "intensive" fixed use.