Not that T-Mobile didn’t really have anything to think about since the merger talks with AT&T have been going on too long, but another company has come forward willing to partner with the mobile carrier should AT&T not be able to complete the purchase one way or another. Dish Network Corp. has come forward saying it would partner with T-Mobile should the merger with AT&T fails. Dish Network, which is the second largest satellite provider in the United States, acquired some wireless spectrum recently in another deal with a bankrupt DBSD North America Inc. and Terrestar Networks.
Putting the newly acquired spectrum to use together with T-Mobile’s assets could make a potential competitor for AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Right now, the more spectrum that T-Mobile has, the better chance it has of getting access to the iPhone, since the company is the only major carrier left that cannot sell the popular Apple iPhone. With the ability to sell the iPhone, T-Mobile will finally be able to bargain with consumers and possibly raise their market share to a more competitive rank against AT&T or Verizon Wireless. Dish Network could team up with T-Mobile and form a new business or Dish Network could team up with Sprint Network and do the same, either way any type of deal would have to be approved by the FCC.
Dish Network commented on the wireless spectrum they acquired by saying that the company was not in the business of selling the wireless spectrum. Dish Network wants to create a national wireless network for voice, data and video. Joseph Clayton, CEO of Dish Network, said “We’ve got expertise in satellite-TV, and we will in satellite broadband. The voice part, we’ll need some help with.” Dish Network has also come forward publicly against the AT&T and T-Mobile deal saying it was bad for competition. In reality, Dish Network is in a win/win situation no matter how the deal turns out.
Dish Network is also waiting for approval from the FCC in regards to the spectrum they picked up from the bankrupt company and cannot really make any final plans until that deal is 100 percent approved. According to T-Mobile, the company was not considering a partnership with the satellite television provider. The spokesman for T-Mobile said they are pursuing AT&T and that there was “no plan B”.
