mergers

There's a curious line of thinking going around that suggests that if Sprint lands the next iPhone as rumored, the handset would undercut the carrier's push to stop the proposed AT&T and T-Mobile merger. As Frost & Sullivan analyst Brent Iadarola puts it in a recent CNN Money post, the win of an iPhone would "weaken Sprint's core argument that a duopolistic wireless market would limit consumer choice" and that it would "represent an odd kind of win for AT&T."

The writer of the story, David Goldman, quotes a … Read more

The Federal Communications Commission has officially restarted the clock it's using to time its decision on AT&T's acquisition bid for T-Mobile USA.

In a letter posted on the FCC site today, the organization's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau chief, Rick Kaplan, said that the clock is now ticking once again after a month-long hiatus. According to Kaplan, today marks the 83rd day in the FCC's review. The clock runs for a total of 180 days.

Last month, the FCC decided to halt the clock after it requested AT&T provide more information "to bolster … Read more

AT&T is facing additional questioning from the Federal Communications Commission after a document surfaced noting that the company had considered paying less than one-tenth of its T-Mobile USA acquisition price to expand its high-speed service across the U.S.

Earlier this month, a document from AT&T lawyers sent to the FCC was posted on the commission's Web site. That letter contained details about AT&T's plans to expand its HSPA+ and LTE rollout and included information that wasn't supposed to be viewable by the general public. However, when the letter was posted, … Read more

When is $12.5 billion dollars just not enough? When you're selling out to a monster like Google, according to Motorola investor John Keating. He's suing Moto and its CEO Sanjay Jha for failing to get the best price possible from Google for Motorola Mobility, according to a Bloomberg report.

On its face, Keating's argument seems like a harder sale than the deal itself, considering that the agreement has Google paying $40 per share for the company, or a 63 percent premium over the stock price at the time of the deal.

But such legal actions have … Read more

AT&T is striking back at the law firm Bursor & Fisher, which is trying to block AT&T's $39 billion merger with T-Mobile USA, according to a report from Reuters.

Last week, AT&T reportedly filed eight lawsuits in eight different federal court jurisdictions against Bursor & Fisher and a second plaintiffs' firm, Faruqi & Faruqi, claiming that the firms have been pressuring AT&T into "an extortionate settlement" by encouraging AT&T customers to file multiple claims against the merger.

Bursor & Fisher began its "Fight The Merger" … Read more

Consumers may be the big winners when the dust settles over Google's announcement today that it plans to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion.

Motorola's enviable patent portfolio was likely the driver in Google's decision to buy the handset maker. But the deal also gives Google its own hardware, which could pave the way for the company to create an end-to end mobile experience akin to what Apple has done with its iOS devices.

Google has taken an open approach to the mobile market. Its Android software is free and available to any hardware maker. This … Read more

AT&T's deal to buy T-Mobile USA could end up being even costlier than originally thought.

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that the telecommunications giant has hired bankers to advise it on the potential sale of customers and spectrum--assets that may be worth $8 billion or more.

It's no huge surprise that AT&T will need to make concessions. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson has said as much. But this is the first time there has been a value placed on the trade-offs it will have to make to get the deal done.

The … Read more

The Federal Communications Commission said today that it will take a "coordinated" look at AT&T's proposed acquisition of both T-Mobile USA and spectrum controlled by Qualcomm.

TechCrunch reported that the FCC had informed AT&T that the reviews would be done together, which would put the telecommunications giant in the position of justifying the acquisition of such a large amount of wireless spectrum.

"The commission's ongoing review has confirmed that the proposed transactions raise a number of related issues, including, but not limited to, questions regarding AT&T's aggregation of … Read more

AT&T is getting some support from a key congressional leader for its proposed $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile USA.

Earlier this week, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, urged regulators to resist what he called one-sided arguments to block AT&T's plan to buy T-Mobile.

"Recently, you have heard from members of Congress who, based on the limited information provided in congressional hearings, urged you to conclude that this merger should be blocked," he said in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission and the Department … Read more