FCC approves T-Mobile - MetroPCS deal, deems the merger will 'serve the public interest'

FCC head Julius Genachowski has made it official: Deutsche Telekom can proceed with its planned acquisition of MetroPCS. News of the planned mobile marriage first arrived this past October, setting the stage for a more competent wireless carrier alternative in the US -- an arrangement that would also give DT a majority stake (74-percent). This new corporate entity, which will assume the T-Mobile US branding, now combines all PCS, AWS-1 and 700MHz spectrum licenses across 248 Cellular Market Areas. Citing the competitive benefits it would achieve on "both the local and national levels," the commission's given a thumbs up to the transaction, noting that any potential service overlaps or public interest harm are outweighed by the possibility of a greater LTE buildout and the "deployment of a more robust, national network" for what is now the nation's number four operator. According to the terms of the deal, both MetroPCS and T-Mobile will retain their branding and continue to operate as separate business units in their respective markets, with the potential to now expand their reach. Genachowski has issued a statement extolling the virtues of the deal, which you can find just after the break. Developing...Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, T-MobileCommentsSource: FCC