Looks like Sprint is already cashin out on their Softbank check. Sprint has just acquired 50.8 percent of Clearwire. Word is after Softbank acquired 70% of Sprint, they want Sprint to acquire more stake Clearwire. Looks like Sprint is heading in the right direction for now.
Last year, Sprint reduced its voting shares in Clearwire from 54 percent to less than 50 percent in order to shield itself from possible Clearwire destruction. In June, Sprintreclaimed those voting shares, gaining more control with fewer consequences.
When Softbank agreed to acquire a 70 percent stake in Sprint recently, however, the Japanese company reportedly wanted Sprint to purchase Clearwire as part of the deal. According to PCMag Lead Mobile Analyst, Sascha Segan, Softbank could buy out the remaining percent of Clearwire shares, and speed up Sprint’s LTE network as well as Clearwire’s urban TD-LTE rollout.
“If someone can actually make Clearwire’s network function next year, it will be considerably faster than any competitor,” Segan said.
[pcmag]
