The US’ third-largest carrier Sprint Corp will not take part in the upcoming auction of radio airwaves, a spokesman has confirmed. Telecoms regulator the FCC has scheduled its auction of AWS-3 frequencies for 13 November and is looking to raise at…
The US’ third-largest carrier Sprint Corp will not take part in the upcoming auction of radio airwaves, a spokesman has confirmed.
Telecoms regulator the FCC has scheduled its auction of AWS-3 frequencies for 13 November and is looking to raise at least US$10.65bn from it.
A Sprint spokesman said that Sprint has decided against participating in the tender but will evaluate opportunities presented by the 600 MHz incentive auction, planned for mid-2015.
In August, the FCC proposed preventing the nation’s largest operators from making joint bids in the 600 MHz auction, prompting Sprint to abandon merger plans with smaller rival T-Mobile US over regulatory concerns.
The AWS-3 tender is expected to attract interest from the country’s largest wireless players – Verizon Communications, AT&T and T-Mobile – and from satellite operator Dish Network.
Separately, Sprint’s newly-appointed CEO Marcelo Claure was quoted as saying that the operator is seeking partners to boost its operations, following the failed T-Mobile talks.
At a conference yesterday, Claure said the company is wide open to having discussions with cable companies, over-the-top companies and other wireless carriers to expand its reach and benefit from economies of scale, according to Reuters.
He also reportedly commented that the company, controlled by Japan’s Softbank, believes in consolidation.
Following his appointment in early August, Claure had said: “In the short term, we will focus on becoming extremely cost efficient and competing aggressively in the marketplace. While consolidating makes sense in the long term, for now, we will focus on growing and repositioning Sprint.”
Claure replaced Dan Hesse, who had led Sprint since 2007.
