http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/21/technology/few-options-for-a-lagging-t-mobile.html

“Dear Mr. Obermann,

I have a few suggestions on how to salvage your blown AT&T/T-Mobile Deal.

Bear in mind that AT&T had a few things going against it.  AT&T had every intention of letting go of staff right after the deal closed; no one actually believed the company would keep multiple people doing the same job when that was not cost effective.  No one believed AT&T was really concerned about the rural and underserved markets because all you had to do was look at its track record.  AT&T was not convincing in any of its arguments.

There is a way of salvaging this mess.  Despite what analysts are saying about the value of T-Mobile being minimal because of its lack of spectrum, the carrier has value to Sprint and Leap.  I completely disagree with those who state that Sprint would be facing the same hurdles and challenges as AT&T.  Sprint will be facing the same questions but the FCC is more likely to believe the nation’s Number 3 carrier that it is concerned about the rural and underserved markets when it has a long track of serving those markets even when Wall Street was advising Sprint to walk away from the rural and underserved markets.  Leap started off by serving the underse4rved and unserved markets and still is.

DT should sell T-Mobile in pieces that is sell off spectrum and associated network assets to Sprint and Leap.  Sprint and Leap can use the spectrum to bolster itself in existing markets and might be able to use the spectrum for new markets.  Now will all of T-Mobile’s spectrum be in ideal Sprint and Leap locations?  No. But guess what you have no choice but to think out of the box and prepare T-Mobile for a sale of this nature.

I need to give this more thought.  More on this later.”