Dish Network is preparing to close the deal with T-Mobile to take Boost Mobile off of its hands, making it the fourth nationwide carrier.
T-Mobile recently merged with Sprint after years of campaigning and fighting to gain regulatory approval. Even after the DOJ and FCC approved the deal, a coalition of states sued to stop it. One of the big concerns opponents had was whether consolidating to three carriers would hurt consumers.
To address the concerns, it was agreed that T-Mobile would sell its Boost Mobile business to Dish Network. This paved the way for the merger, making T-Mobile the second largest US carrier, while helping Dish enter the market as a new fourth nationwide carrier.
As part of the deal, Bloomberg is reporting that Dish will pay T-Mobile $1.4 billion for Boost. In return, Dish will also have access to T-Mobile’s network for seven years.
Dish has been aggressively optimistic about its ability to compete in a market that has seen Sprint go from a major force to being bought out by its one-time rival. Only time will tell if Dish is able to make a go of it.