Bloomberg reports Dish Network is close to a deal to pay $6 billion for Sprint’s Boost Mobile prepaid wireless brand and spectrum.
Sprint’s attempt to shed its Boost Mobile brand is part of an effort on Sprint and T-Mobile’s part to gain regulatory approval for its upcoming merger with T-Mobile. The two companies have been attempting to appease U.S. regulators who believe the merger raises antitrust concerns.
The U.S. Department of Justice is pushing Sprint and T-Mobile to ensure that a fourth major carrier would have a presence in the states. (The Sprint/T-Mobile merger would leave just three major carriers, including AT&T and Verizon.)
A combined Sprint/T-Mobile carrier, which would be known as T-Mobile, would have close to 100 million customers, making it the second-largest carrier, behind only Verizon.
The merger agreement was first announced back in April 2018, but it still requires government approval. A May report indicated regulators were “leaning against” approval of the deal unless Sprint and T-Mobile sold off some of their assets.
Dish could announce the deal as soon as this week, says Bloomberg. The terms of the deal are not yet final and could still fall through.