Sprint Nextel
SoftBank Ups Sprint Bid, Sprint Puts Dish in the Corner
June 11, 2013 10:03 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSoftBank late Monday raised its bid to acquire Sprint to $21.6 billion from $20.1 billion, or $7.65 per share. Under the new agreement, SoftBank would take a 78 percent stake in Sprint, up from the 70 percent promised in the previous offer.
AT&T Rolling Out Wi-Fi-Enabled Push-to-Talk Feature for iPhone
June 10, 2013 10:50 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsAT&T today announced a new iOS app for its business customers that will enable push-to-talk (PTT) features on the iPhone 4S and 5. The service will run over AT&T’s network but will also operate via Wi-Fi, which should provide improved in-building coverage for the service.
AT&T Bumps Upgrade Wait From 20 Months to Two Years
June 10, 2013 10:00 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsAT&T has extended the waiting period for upgrades on phones from 20 months to two years. In a blog post Sunday, the company said the new upgrade policy will apply to new contracts and any existing contracts ending March 2014 and later.
Report: SoftBank Could Buy Deutsche Telekom’s Stake in T-Mobile
June 7, 2013 4:33 pm | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSoftBank might be interested in buying Deutsche Telekom’s (DT) 74-percent stake in T-Mobile USA, if the Japanese carrier’s $20.1 billion bid for Sprint falls through. Reuters is citing three sources familiar with the situation saying that the talks—a continuation of preliminary negotiations between SoftBank and DT that began last year—have recently ramped up in light of Dish’s competing bid of $25.5 billion for Sprint.
Report: NSA Collects Data From AT&T, Sprint, Google, Apple and More
June 7, 2013 10:01 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsAfter yesterday’s public reveal of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) demands for Verizon customers’ data, more information is coming out suggesting the NSA’s casting a much bigger net. The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the NSA’s operations, reports that the same initiative targeting Verizon data is also collecting similar information from AT&T and Sprint.
FreedomPop to Sell Phones, Offer Free Data, Voice and Messaging
June 5, 2013 8:45 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsFreedomPop is a data-only MVNO that, up to this point, has pushed its freemium service model on hotspots, routers, dongles and connected cases. But that changes soon as the company is getting ready to offer an IP-based voice and messaging service along with data on actual Android phones...
Sprint: Dish’s Clearwire Bid “Not Actionable,” Violates Law
June 3, 2013 10:30 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSprint is firing back at Dish’s offer to buy the remainder of Clearwire, calling the bid “not actionable” and saying it violates Delaware law and the existing Clearwire Equityholders’ Agreement (EHA). In a letter sent Wednesday to Clearwire’s board, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse made it clear that his company “will not vote in favor of [Dish’s] proposal, tender its shares in the offer or waive any of its rights as a stockholder or under the EHA.”
Verizon Smartphone Sales Grow on Windows Popularity
June 3, 2013 10:23 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsVerizon took the lion's share of smarpthone sales in the United States, due in part to the growth of Windows Phone, according to new numbers from Kantar Worldpanel Comtech. Of the carriers, Verizon grabbed 36.3 percent of smartphones sold, an annual increase of 1.8 percent. Sprint Nextel accounted for 13.1 percent of smartphones sold...
Ahead of the Bell: Adviser Supports Sprint Deal
June 3, 2013 9:12 am | by Associated Press | News | CommentsA shareholder advisory firm is backing Softbank in its attempted acquisition of a huge chunk of Sprint Nextel. The $20.1 billion bid from Japan's second-biggest mobile company would ease Sprint's debt burden and provide ample cash to improve its network and become a serious competitor, according to Institutional Shareholder Services...
Clearwire Postpones Sprint Vote, Could Force SoftBank’s Hand
May 31, 2013 9:36 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsIn light of Dish’s offer yesterday financially trumping Sprint’s existing bid for Clearwire, the wireless broadband carrier has rescheduled a shareholder vote on Sprint’s bid to buyout Clearwire. Clearwire’s shareholders were scheduled to vote on the Sprint transaction May 31. Sprint last week raised its offer to $3.40 per share (up from $2.97), but Dish swooped in with a $4.40 per share tender offer at the last minute.
Dish Raises Bid for Clearwire to $4.40 Per Share
May 30, 2013 9:51 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsDish Network has raised its bid for Clearwire to $4.40 per share, representing a 29 percent premium over the revised offer of $3.40 per share Sprint last week submitted to the internet wholesaler. The bid caused Clearwire’s stock to skyrocket in after hours trading and it’s currently up more than 20 percent in pre-market as of 8:13 a.m. CT.
Americans Talk, Surf More than Europeans on Cells
May 30, 2013 9:06 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsAmericans pay more for their cell service than Europeans, but they're getting a lot more use out of their phones, a global wireless trade group said Wednesday. In releasing the report, GSM Association urged European regulators to take cues from the U.S...
Sprint, SoftBank Strike U.S. Security Deal with Stipulations
May 29, 2013 10:30 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSprint today announced that it and Japanese carrier Softbank have received clearance from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) to move ahead with the proposed $20 billion merger of the two companies. The CFIUS’ approval comes with stipulations.
Schumer Urges Look at Security in Sprint Deal
May 28, 2013 9:29 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSen. Charles Schumer urged regulators to "use extreme caution" when reviewing the proposed acquisition of No. 3 cell carrier Sprint Nextel by Japan's Softbank, saying the Japanese company's use of Chinese networking equipment could open up U.S. networks to snooping and hacking...
Sprint, SoftBank Earn Final State Approval for Deal
May 24, 2013 10:04 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsThe California Public Utilities Commission voted to approve the transaction between Sprint and SoftBank. This decision marks the final necessary state approval for SoftBank’s proposed $20 billion bid to acquire 70 percent of Sprint. In a statement, the California Commission said the deal should lead to increased competition that “will benefit consumers and the telecommunications marketplace.”
Clearwire Board Likes New Sprint Bid, Shareholder Does Not
May 22, 2013 10:58 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsClearwire’s board of directors is recommending its shareholders vote in favor of Sprint’s revised bid to buy out the wireless wholesaler. Large minority shareholder Crest Financial Limited sent a letter chiding Clearwire’s board for postponing the vote and urging shareholders to vote against Sprint’s revised offer.
Sprint Raises Clearwire Offer
May 21, 2013 10:46 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSprint has raised its offer to buyout Clearwire to $3.40 per share, representing a 14 percent premium over the previous offer of $2.97 and valuing Clearwire at $10.7 billion. Sprint’s boosted bid to acquire the nearly 50 percent of Clearwire it doesn’t already own comes just hours before Clearwire shareholders are scheduled to vote on the transaction.
Sprint Completes Spectrum Buy from U.S. Cellular, Gains 420,000 Customers
May 20, 2013 10:47 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsSprint on Friday announced that it had completed its purchase of 20MHz of PCS spectrum from U.S. Cellular that covers various Midwest markets, including Chicago, South Bend, Ind., and Champaign, Illinois. As part of the deal, Sprint also snagged 10MHz of PCS spectrum in the St. Louis market...
Dish Crystalizing Sprint Bid With $2.5B Debt Offering
May 15, 2013 10:56 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsDish Tuesday announced a $2.5 billion debt offering to be placed in escrow for use toward the $9.3 billion the company still needs to raise for the cash consideration portion of its $25.5 billion offer to merge with Sprint, a move that serves as more than a gesture of good will toward the Sprint bid since it will likely cost Dish to place that money into escrow.
Big 4 Cellphone Carriers Unite on Anti-Texting Ads
May 14, 2013 9:54 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsThe country's four biggest cellphone companies are set to launch their first joint advertising campaign against texting while driving, uniting behind AT&T's "It Can Wait" slogan to blanket TV and radio this summer. AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile will...
Clearwire Again Implores Shareholders to Vote For Sprint Offer
May 13, 2013 11:17 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsToday’s letter goes over the points outlined in a letter Clearwire sent to shareholders last week but this time, Clearwire comes armed with a new recommendation from Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), an advisory firm that is now recommending Clearwire shareholders vote for the Sprint merger.
Report: SoftBank Pushing Banks to Not Finance Dish’s Sprint Bid
May 13, 2013 10:09 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSoftBank appears to be playing hardball with banks that could potentially help finance Dish Network’s $25.5 billion opposing bid. A Reuters report cited two sources suggesting SoftBank, which owns 33 percent of Chinese e-commerce site Alibaba, has told lenders their chances of underwriting Alibaba’s imminent IPO could be jeopardized by aiding Dish in financing its Sprint bid.
Dish: If Sprint Bid Falls Through, There are Other Options
May 9, 2013 4:58 pm | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsDish Network is in a heated battle with Japanese carrier SoftBank over whose bid is the best value for Sprint. But Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen seems confident that his company has other options for breaking into wireless should Dish lose out. During Dish’s first quarter conference call Thursday, Ergen suggested Dish could partner with someone else in the wireless industry, sell its spectrum or sell the company.
First News Briefs for May 9, 2013
May 9, 2013 10:52 am | by Wireless Week Staff | News | CommentsTelit Wireless Solutions, a global provider of machine-to-machine (M2M) modules, services and solutions, today announced approval by Sprint for its CE910-DUAL cellular M2M module. A dual-band CDMA 1xRTT module, the CE910-DUAL allows Sprint M2M Solutions customers to deploy a wide range of M2M applications benefiting from reliable connectivity over Sprint’s nationwide network while enabling even the most cost sensitive business plans.
Report: Sprint Pushes Dish for More Details on Merger Bid
May 8, 2013 11:02 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsSprint is holding back on granting financial information to Dish Network as it pushed the company to elaborate on how its $25.5 billion merger offer will be funded and how it will create cost savings. Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the matter, said Sprint’s board has raised its eyebrows at Dish’s ability to round up the $9.3 billion in financing it needs for the deal.
