T-Mobile, Aiming for Sprint Merger, Reportedly Sets Divestiture Pact With Dish

T-Mobile seeks to meet government's demands to ensure competition in cellular market.
By Tony Owusu ,

Mobile carrier T-Mobile (TMUS) - Get Report and pay-TV operator Dish Network (DISH) - Get Report have agreed to a divestiture deal, sources told CNBC, as T-Mobile looks to gain regulatory approval for its proposed $26 billion merger with Sprint (S) - Get Report

The Department of Justice has been pressuring T-Mobile and its Bonn parent, Deutsche Telekom, to shed assets like wireless spectrum licenses in the interest of maintaining competition in the cellular market. 

T-Mobile and Sprint are the third- and fourth-largest mobile carriers in the country behind No. 1 Verizon (VZ) - Get Report and AT&T (T) - Get Report

CNBC reported that last month Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen met with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and antitrust chief Makan Delrahim to advocate for "the need for a minimum of four nationwide mobile network operators" in order to maintain competitive balance, according to an FCC filing. 

Dish shares are rising 1.3% to $39.37 while T-Mobile was up 1.1% to $74.99. 

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