T-Mobile US successfully won over one of the states suing to block its proposed merger with Sprint, inking a deal with Mississippi attorney general Jim Hood to rapidly bring 5G to a majority of the state’s population.
As part of the agreement, T-Mobile committed to deploy a 5G network offering 62 per cent of the state’s population access to download speeds of 100Mb/s or higher within three years of closing its deal with Sprint. Coverage must increase to 92 per cent of the general population and 88 per cent of the rural population within six years.
The operator also made “limited price commitments,” and promised there would be no retail job losses and that new stores would be opened in rural areas.
In a statement, Hood said the deal would help fill in “internet deserts across the state,” particularly in rural areas that have been left behind in the digital revolution. He claimed only two per cent of Mississippi residents would benefit from 5G services from T-Mobile if its merger with Sprint is not approved.
Hood was one of 18 attorney generals (from 17 states and the District of Columbia) who backed a lawsuit aiming to block the deal [1]. Pennsylvania was the latest addition to the coalition, signing on in September.
In a tweet, T-Mobile CEO John Legere (pictured) said the operator is “thrilled” at Hood’s decision to withdraw from the lawsuit and looks forward to “addressing real issues like disparities in rural education and competitive pricing for lower income consumers”.
Mississippi is now one of eight states supporting the deal, with seven others endorsing merger conditions imposed by the US Department of Justice [2].
[1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/t-mobile-sprint-lawsuit-gains-momentum/[2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/sprint-t-mobile-merger-wins-doj-approval/
