FTC just letting all the US cell providers merge into two companies.
Three. US cellular has been losing customers for years now and would have eventually went bankrupt. So this might be a better outcome than that because those people would have had to find another carrier anyway and the FCC would have had spectrum to auction.
According to T-Mobile’s announcement today, T-Mobile will be acquiring substantially all of US Cellular’s wireless operations, including its wireless customers, stores, and specified spectrum assets. With this acquisition, T-Mobile will be giving US Cellular customers, particularly those in rural areas, enhanced connectivity experience. Meanwhile, T-Mobile customers will also gain access to US Cellular’s network in areas where they previously had limited coverage.
Cell carriers need more competition, not less.
To be fair, US Cellular was not competing. They were headed for bankruptcy or a merger. If they had went through bankruptcy, the FCC would have gotten the spectrum back and then auctioned it, and those people would have had to move to a new carrier anyway.
