Sprint Completes Clearwire Acquisition

As expected, Sprint has completed its Clearwire merger, with SoftBank and more LTE now waiting in the wings

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

July 9, 2013

1 Min Read
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Sprint Nextel Corp. has finally completed the acquisition of 4G partner Clearwire Corp., a process it first launched in December 2012.

Clearwire shareholders agreed Monday to accept Sprint's bid to buy the nearly 50 percent of Clearwire shares it doesn't already own. With the completion of the transaction, Clearwire will no longer be listed for trading on NASDAQ and expects no further trading after the close of business Tuesday. (See Sprint/Clearwire Merger Could Close July 9.)

Sprint beat off a rival bid from Dish Networks LLC to take complete ownership of the operator, which has been its on-and-off-again WiMax partner since 2007. (See Dish Cedes to Sprint's Clearwire Bid.)

Now Clearwire will use its 2.6GHz spectrum to bolster Sprint's effort to build out LTE. Sprint has already been asking some device partners for LTE support at that frequency in forthcoming handsets.

Next up for Sprint is the expected completion of its merger deal with Japan's SoftBank. That deal got its final approvals from the U.S. government on July 5. (See FCC Approves SoftBank/Sprint, Sprint/Clearwire.) — Dan Jones, Site Editor, Light Reading Mobile

About the Author

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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