Back when the AT&T deal was scrapped by a suddenly-and-uncharacteristically pro-consumer FCC and Justice Department, there was some talk that AT&T and T-Mobile might have a backup plan in place. That plan supposedly involved the two companies working on some kind of joint venture or spectrum sharing arrangement. But with T-Mobile getting $4 billion in roaming agreements, spectrum sharing and cash as part of a breakup fee they're apparently willing to go it alone.
T-Mobile CEO Philipp Humm told the WSJ's AllThingsD that they're working on rebooting the company after the failed merger, with AT&T nowhere in sight:
After failing to sell itself to AT&T, T-Mobile is prepared to go it alone, says CEO Philipp Humm. "There is no second AT&T deal around," Humm told AllThingsD in an interview on Tuesday. Humm said the company is still ironing out its plans in the wake of the merger s derailment. "Now it s really a question about restarting the business," Humm said. "We will give you more details, probably by the end of the quarter. We are right now finalizing our plans."
What remains unclear is if T-Mobile parent company Deutsche Telekom still wants to exit the U.S. wireless market, or if the AT&T break up fee changed their mind.read comment(s)