Verizon has no plans to buy Sprint, says CEO

By Andrew Couts March 22, 2011

Verizon Wireless has no intention of buying Sprint Nextel, says its chief executive, Daniel Mead. This in light of the fact that Mead’s company may soon drop down to the number two largest wireless company in the US, if AT&T’s recently announced plan to purchase T-Mobile for $39 billion is approved by federal regulators.

During an interview with Reuters on Monday, Mead said that Verizon, currently the most profitable wireless carrier in the US, found no reason to purchase Sprint.

“We’re not interested in Sprint. We don’t need them,” Mead told Reuters just before the 2011 CTIA wireless industry conference in Orlando, Florida, which takes place this week.

Mead also indicated that Verizon would not oppose AT&T’s T-Mobile purchase, and added that he believes the deal will be approved by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, if the companies agreed to the regulators’ conditions.

“Anything can go through if you make enough concessions,” Mead said.

The fate of Sprint has become one of the most significant question marks left hanging in the musty air after news of the AT&T/T-Mobile union went public on Sunday.

Sprint has come out firmly against the AT&T/T-Mobile merger, saying it would “result in a wireless industry dominated overwhelmingly by two vertically-integrated companies that control almost 80 percent of the US wireless post-paid market.”

Some believe Sprint could have difficulty competing against Verizon and the new AT&T/T-Mobile juggernaut if not purchased by a larger entity that could provide support to the dwarfed cellular carrier.

Another possible option is that Sprint, which was originally slated to purchase T-Mobile before presumably being out-bid by AT&T, could begin to buy up smaller, budget competitors like Metro PCS or Leap.

Regardless, it’s clear the AT&T/T-Mobile deal has sparked a feeding frenzy in the wireless industry. It remains vague, however, who’s predator and who’s prey.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

CTIA

Mobile

The EU is preparing an App Store change that Apple won’t like

App Store displayed on an iPhone 14 Pro against a pink background

The EU is narrowing its focus on Apple's App Store, a new report says. Coming from the Financial Times, which cites three sources familiar with the matter, the body now plans to focus on Apple's ban against linking to subscriptions off the App Store. The EU confirmed this report in an update to its statement of objections shared on Tuesday morning.

Where this policy might have been merely annoying at first, the color of it changed once Apple began offering competitors to rival services it had banned from advertising in the store.

Mobile

The best Samsung Galaxy S23 deals from every carrier

Someone holding the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with the display turned on.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 is officially here! If you took advantage of the S23 pre-order offers that were floating around at many retailers, then you already have the phone and have upgraded it with some great Samsung Galaxy S23 accessories. If you don't have the phone yet, don't worry. Plenty of retailers and cell carriers still have deals on every model of the new phone, and even some of the other goodies that were announced at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Event such as the new Samsung Galaxy Book 3.
The first step in availing one of these deals is to choose which model you want, the S23, S23+ or S23 Ultra. Then you'll have to find your preferred carrier and figure out if you can trade-in your current phone. There are a lot of options available, and we've broken them all down for you.

Today's Best Samsung Galaxy S23 Deals
If you're looking to buy the Samsung Galaxy S23, the brand's latest smartphone in the series, you have some great choices. The S23 Ultra, for instance, is almost a shoe-in for one of the best Android phones of the year -- we gave it a 10 out of 10 in our review. Of course, each provider may be offering exclusive deals or promotions that are worth taking into consideration before you make a final decision.

Mobile

Someone just paid over $60,000 for this ultra-rare iPhone

An original 2007 iPhone sealed in its original box.

When outfitted with all of the best specs, the most expensive iPhone you can buy directly from Apple is the iPhone 14 Pro Max. It retails for $1,599 if you get the highest-end 1TB model.

Blatantly ignoring Apple's current price ceiling, rare iPhones are selling for ridiculously high prices at auction, and one recently showed the world just how much a collector is willing to cough up for a rare Apple device. The iPhone in question is an original, 2007 iPhone that sold for $63,356.40 through LCG Auctions earlier this month.