T-Mobile and MetroPCS have successfully closed the merger both wireless carriers set out on last year. Confirmed in the newly-merged company's fact sheet and investor page, the deal pairs T-Mobile USA's 34 million subscribers with the near 9 million tallied by MetroPCS. The Associated Press first reported that the merger was nearing finalization yesterday, and both companies' investor pages confirm the new company will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol TMUS.
The joined entity will operate under the T-Mobile brand, with plans calling for MetroPCS customers to be migrated over to T-Mobile's network by 2015. Once that's done, the spectrum previously devoted to MetroPCS' CDMA network will be repurposed to help build out T-Mobile's LTE network. The goal is to establish a 4G presence rivaling those of larger competitors Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Even as a combined company, the new T-Mobile lags behind Sprint in subscriber count and will maintain its position as America's fourth-largest wireless provider — at least for now.
Even with the merger, T-Mobile US is still in fourth place
Compared to AT&T's ill-fated attempt to purchase T-Mobile, this merger gained the necessary stamps of approval while facing far less resistance. T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom did have to overcome one hurdle, however; after MetroPCS shareholders threatened to vote down its original offer, the German telecom giant had little choice but to sweeten the pot. With the deal now closed, T-Mobile stands to enjoy further momentum as its transition to a contract-free business model moves forward. The new pairing could shake up the mobile industry in other ways, too; we've gone over those potential effects previously.