Softbank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son is currently calling the shots for Sprint, and there are indications that he may be looking to leverage the Trump administration’s leniency in regulating the tech sphere to merge Sprint with another player, as just one possibility. A number of high-ranking Softbank executives reportedly had talks with members of the Trump administration last month about possible moves that Softbank could make in the US, including changes revolving around Sprint. In the wake of news that Trump’s FCC will likely not give any review or other impedance to a proposed deal between AT&T and Comcast, along with reports that show that T-Mobile US would likely be better off merging with somebody in the near future, all eyes are turning to Sprint as a possible merger, with T-Mobile and Comcast as some of the most popularly cited potential partners.
In the past, mergers in the wireless world – especially among the big four – have proven an unpopular topic on Capitol Hill and elsewhere, with regulators pointing out the very clear connection between dwindling competition and dwindling consumer benefit in the space. Competition in the wireless space, as T-Mobile has proven in recent years, does not just spell better services and lower bills for consumers, but also stimulates the economy in the form of wireless carriers investing in things like network equipment, advertising, and spectrum. If two major carriers merge under this furious climate, they could end up being quite a force together, at the expense of other carriers, and thus competition.
Softbank is on the move in the unique worldwide economic climate created by Trump’s rise to power, as evidenced by their recent acquisition of Intelsat through their OneWeb telecommunications arm. Son and his people have made their plans mostly clear, and have explained in some detail why it is imperative for the United States to maintain its competitive position in the world wireless space. Plans to merge with T-Mobile or Comcast are almost entirely speculation at this point, but both have clear pros, cons, and market “tells”, which means that analysts and strategy specialists are already weighing out the potential deals.