We've heard rumors of T-Mobile investing some cash into Clearwire a couple of times in the past, but how would Sprint feel about one of their competitors investing in their WiMAX provider? According Jason Armstrong, a Goldman Sachs analyst, they'd be perfectly fine with it. After speaking with Sprint's CEO Dan Hesse and CFO Bob Brust, Armstrong has reported that Sprint has "encouraged a wholesale deal," though whether or not a deal actually goes through will depend on the price. Sprint is a majority owner in Clearwire, so you'd think that they'd like to see a full buy-in take place, but Armstrong reports that the No. 3 carrier doesn't have the full support of its shareholders, making a cash infusion the more likely scenario.
Clearwire is could definitely use some funding, evidenced by their somewhat bleak Q3 report, so I'm sure that they'd be more than happy to take an investment from T-Mobile. While they're currently all-in on HSPA+ when it comes to 4G, T-Mo doesn't have anything planned beyond that, so perhaps an investment in Clearwire would be good for their long-term 4G strategy. If offered the right price, do you think it would be wise for T-Mobile to crack open its piggy bank and pour some money into Clearwire?
Via PhoneScoop, Bloomberg
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