T-Mobile Sprint merger closer to reality as several US regulators give their blessings

The merger between two of the four biggest mobile carriers in the US - T-Mobile and Sprint, will significantly change the landscape of the wireless market. Before that can happen, however, the deal must be approved by a long list of government institutions.

That list got quite a lot shorter, T-Mobile announces, after the merger received the stamp of approval from a number of US authorities. More specifically, the OK’s came from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, the US Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense. All of them have filed their conclusions on the merger with the FCC, stating that they have no objections to it.

John Leger, CEO of T-Mobile said regarding the positive outcome: “We are pleased to achieve both of these important milestones in the journey to build the New T-Mobile.”

Unless one of the remaining agencies to approve the merger decides to put a stick in T-Mobile’s spokes, the FCC will have little to go on if it decides to block it. Not that there aren’t any opponents of it, companies haven’t been sparing their opinions about the merger. However, regulatory approval adds a lot of weight in favor of the deal.

If things continue to go as smoothly for the two carriers, 2019 will likely be the year when the deal finally happens. The FCC’s 180-day countdown is currently on day 68, leaving the Commission with less than four months to come up with a final decision. That is, of course, if it doesn’t pause it again.