T=Mobile/Sprint Merger

The years-long wireless industry twist on the will-they-

won't-they romantic comedy is finally reaching its climax.

T-Mobile and Sprint finally -- finally! -- agreed to get

Together.

The $26 billion deal would combine the nation's third

and fourth largest wireless carriers, creating a larger

player to better compete against industry leaders

Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Under the deal, T-Mobile

parent Deutsche Telekom will assume control of the

two businesses, with Sprint parent SoftBank taking

seats on the board of the new company, to be called

simply T-Mobile.

T-Mobile CEO John Legere and his management

team would take over day-to-day control of the

combined business. Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure

will be a director of the new board. The deal is

expected to close by the first half of 2019.

The merger marks the culmination of years of

flirting between T-Mobile and Sprint, which nearly

agreed to a merger late last year before talks fell

apart in November. As carriers have upped their

game to win you over, tossing in everything from

unlimited data plans to free Netflix and even a free

year of service, the intense environment has the

two carriers joining forces -- and resources -- to

better compete.

Both companies have made their impact felt on

the industry over the last few years. T-Mobile

eliminated contracts and phone subsidies and

last year led the push to bring unlimited plans

back to the industry in a bigger way. Sprint

introduced the concept of a phone-leasing plan

and in 2017 began offering a year of its service

for free.

No company in the wireless industry has been

as effective at turning itself around as T-Mobile,

which under firebrand Legere has routinely

outstripped the rest of the players in subscriber

growth.  It's no surprise he's sticking around.