Deutsche Telekom Shunning US Offers Tests T-Mobile’s Viability

Deutsche Telekom AG’s refusal to agree on bids for T-Mobile US means it risks going alone to take on AT&T and Verizon Communications, a strategy likely to weigh on earnings. The German carrier’s stock fell.

Deutsche Telekom, Europe’s largest phone carrier, has sought to leave the US, where it was unable to establish a competitor capable of matching the clout of larger peers after a decade of effort. The failure to come to terms with Sprint after months of talks puts pressure on Deutsche Telekom Chief Executive Officer Timotheus Hoettges to prove that the US business won’t become a burden on shareholders.