T-Mobile and Sprint are currently in the process of merging. This is a huge deal for the mobile industry given that in this is not the first time that such a merger has been proposed. It is also not the first time that T-Mobile’s attempts to merge with other carriers has failed, so naturally many are watching this deal very closely.
Now both carriers had expected that the deal would conclude in the early part of 2019, but unfortunately that might no longer happen. According to a report from Fierce Wireless, it seems that the review of the merger (part of the approval process) has been suspended. This is apparently due to the government shutdown in which the FCC has been closed.
For those unfamiliar with what’s going on in the US, President Donald Trump has shutdown the federal government. He has refused to pass any kind of funding bill needed for the government to continue operations until he gets his money for the US-Mexico border wall. Other government agencies have been affected, with some government workers still having to go to work despite not getting paid.
It is unclear when this shutdown is expected to come to an end, but for now it seems that T-Mobile and Sprint’s merger is suspended without word on when it will be concluded.