Last week, FCC chairman Ajit Pai revealed that Sprint had agreed to sell off its Boost Mobile division if its merger with T-Mobile is approved, a move which helped the regulatory agency accept the deal. Now, one potential candidate to buy the network operator once it goes on sale has apparently been revealed, and it"s none other than Amazon.
According to a report from Reuters citing unnamed sources, the e-commerce giant wants to buy the service from the New T-Mobile, especially because it means that it will get access to the carrier"s network for at least six years. What"s more, the sources also claim that Amazon could be interested in buying wireless spectrum as well, lending further credibility to the idea that the company wants to enter the wireless network market in force.
Amazon wouldn"t be the first tech giant to enter the cellular service market through T-Mobile and Sprint"s networks, both of which currently serve as the backbone to Google"s Fi service. The two companies are already rivals in many markets, but it remains to be seen if they can coexist in the cellular space.
All of this is still dependent on the approval of the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint, which still hangs in the balance as far as the U.S. Department of Justice is concerned. Reportedly, the Department wants the companies to set up a fourth carrier, in which case Amazon"s interest could make things significantly easier.