T-Mobile has made big promises about its merger — but talk is cheap

To gain federal approval of their $26 billion merger, T-Mobile and Sprint have spent years promising a universe of incredible benefits, from lower prices to better rural wireless coverage. So far, agencies like the Federal Communications Commission have been more than happy to believe them. But US telecom history suggests you shouldn’t believe a word coming out of their mouths. From AT&T’s 2006 merger with BellSouth to Comcast’s 2011 merger with NBC, telecom megadeals are routinely accompanied by any number of promises that are promptly ignored once the deal ink is dry. Instead, consolidation routinely delivers terrible customer service and ever-higher prices.