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While Sprint agreed to be swallowed up by Japanese wireless firm Softbank for just over $20 billion, that blockbuster deal is still threatened by other outside forces who want to take a crack at bat. Since the deal has yet to be voted on by either side Sprint can still listen to offers in earnest. DISH was the company that decided to up the ante and make this fight interesting as the company has put in a new $25.5 billion bid to acquire the Now Network. The deal — worth 13% more than what Softbank is offering — would give Sprint shareholders an attractive 32% stake in the combined company and would increase share value to $7 per share.
Industry analysts say this deal works out better for Sprint in almost every way on the financial side of things, but there’s still reason to believe Sprint could be hesitant to accept. Although DISH’s motives for wanting Sprint stem from wanting an established consumer base and its growing need for wireless spectrum, Sprint is reportedly more interested in doing business with a company that has strong roots in wireless rather than getting in bed with a company who shares the same US soil. Flipping it over, Softbank’s motives are simple — it just wants to have a presence here in the ultra competitive and high potential market that the United States provides.
DISH’s main argument for Sprint is that it could provide the carrier with even more backbone to support the company’s all-you-can-eat unlimited data caveat that other carriers are beginning to abandon, and the company could offer a more robust set of services such as a package of phone, internet and TV like AT&T and Verizon currently do. It’s that type of partnership that could launch Sprint into the upper echelons of mobile in the US where AT&T and Verizon currently dominate (both in customers and in coverage)
Sprint and Softbank didn’t have a comment for the bid just yet, but the former has to be mulling it over quite seriously as this isn’t just softball being played. DISH has greatly exceeded an offer that was already too attractive for Sprint to resist, and we wouldn’t blame the carrier for breaking the long-standing, unwritten “no takesie backsies” rule companies tend to follow after proposing a merger of this magnitude.
[via New York Times]
I gotta give it to Dish here, just for the added Spectrum that they would bring to the table. But at the same time, if Google and Dish are talking about working on a carrier together, I would think they would lead towards a GSM Carrier Personally.
Beat me to it LOL
Dish is talking to everyone. They’re just looking for a partner and they’re talking with anyone willing to sit down with them. They had the Clearwire bid and once that was determined as unlikely they launched this. Then there’s the rumors that they’ve been talking separately with Google and Deutsche Telekom. In fact it wouldn’t surprise me if they make a merger bid with T-Mobile if this falls through. Heck, I could see them merging even if it goes through, forming a Dish/Sprint/Clearwire/T-Mobile/MetroPCS supercarrier.
What was running through my mind while reading your comment: DISH is like one big, ugly streetwalker whoring itself out to anyone and everyone because people would rather give their “business” to the ladies at the splash bars.
Why can’t the phones be made unlocked like iphone where you can just pop in a sim and good to go?
Oh so you can take your AT&T iPhone and use it over at Verizon? No? Then it’s not really unlocked now is it?
If you have paid for the device, you don’t owe ATT anything, WHY NOT?
Yes, it can be unlocked. No, it isn’t necessarily. No, being unlocked doesn’t mean you can use it on completely different technologies and frequencies.
I know this for a fact that Verizon iphone works on ATT network…
No. they have different radios and cannot connect to the others network regardless what you do.
No. No you cant, not even close. Maybe in an alternate universe where upon forming Verizon, the company decided to go GSM. But considering you are posting in the universe where they are CDMA you are incorrect.
Just like you can take an S3 on AT&T and make it work on Sprint or Verizon (or vice versa)? Okay. -__-
Everyone is kinda right. As a previous Verizon manager and a tech nerd, the Verizon iPhone 5 (and only the 5) comes with gsm radios built it and it also comes unlocked right out of the box. Much like the Droid DNA. So yes, the Verizon iPhone can be used on ATT right out to the box. But the ATT iphone 5 can be of work on Verizon. It does not have the same antennas inside. Google it if you don’t believe me. And like I said, it’s only the Verizon iPhone 5, the 4 or 4s can not be used on ATT.
At least someone knows what the F they are talking about…I thank you Sir for your words of wisdom for these poor souls..
You still must have to have your carrier unlock your phone. It’s not sold from the carrier as unlocked, which is my point.
They are made unlocked. Carriers just lock them to their own networks.
That was my point. That’s why I included the carriers
Actually just no altogether. None of them are compatible either way except t mobile/att/straight talk then sprint/ boost etc. sprint/verizon/att completely different models. The carrier unlock is meant for unlocking to a prepaid service or international.
If I were a major shareholder I would be hoping that the Dish deal does go through successfully. If it increases the values of each share, I would sell all my shares after the deal and find something better to invest in. Its all about money and I am pretty sure Sprint could use an extra $5 billion.
I love how casual you said that. “…an extra $5 billion”. Well in my head I read it as you saying it nonchalantly.
I don’t care who buys Sprint as long as they improve the crappy network, and improve it faster than what they have done in the past, and are currently doing, it’s quite embarrassing. A little lower bill wouldn’t hurt either. Just hurry up and do it.
As long as they don’t change “truly unlimited” to “unlimited *”…
While Dish has been connected to talks with Google before, I would’ve thought Google would be more interested in T-Mobile. In fact, T-Mobile’s “Uncarrier” strategy seems to match up nicely with Google’s selling of unsubsidized Nexus devices. A Dish-owned Sprint and Google-owned T-Mobile would be enough to shake up the mobile industry IMHO.
Your classmate’s sister is a prostitute!