This one should come as no surprise. Sprint yesterday announced that it was opposed to AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile USA.
“Sprint urges the United States government to block this anti-competitive acquisition,” said Vonya McCann, senior vice president, Government Affairs. “This transaction will harm consumers and harm competition at a time when this country can least afford it. As the first national carrier to roll out 4G services and handsets and the carrier that brought simple unlimited pricing to the marketplace, Sprint stands ready to compete in a truly dynamic marketplace. So on behalf of our customers, our industry and our country, Sprint will fight this attempt by AT&T to undo the progress of the past 25 years and create a new Ma Bell duopoly.”
A deal between AT&T and T-Mobile USA will make it more difficult for Sprint (currently the third largest US carrier) to negotiate volume discounts on new devices, compete for new customers, and secure new spectrum through future auctions or acquisitions.
It remains to be seen if smaller mobile operators will add their voices to Sprint’s opposition of this transaction.