The great carrier consolidation of 2013 continues!
There had always been speculation of what a great fit Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ:LEAP) would be with MetroPCS. Instead, MetroPCS decided to pair with T MOBILE US INC (NYSE:TMUS) in a reverse merger that would make the magenta carrier publicly traded in the U.S. for the first time. That was after AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) failed to acquire T-Mobile, when the Department of Justice vetoed the deal years ago. Meanwhile, SoftBank has enmeshed itself with Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) and Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR), despite DISH Network (NASDAQ:DISH)‘s efforts to cut in on the action.
Credit: AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T)
In no uncertain terms, this deal is very much about spectrum. The 5 million new subscribers alone aren’t a game-changer compared to AT&T’s current retail customer base of 77.9 million (excluding wholesale connections and connected devices). It will, however, substantially add to AT&T’s prepaid subscriber base, which was just 7.1 million at the end of Q1.
The transaction includes valuable PCS and AWS spectrum bands that cover 137 million people and will help AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) boost its LTE capacity. Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ:LEAP) investors will also get a contingent right that entitles them to some of the net proceeds from the sale of a 700 MHz “A Block” spectrum license in Chicago. Leap bought that chunk last August for $204 million.
There are a few interesting plot twists. Leap has traded as high as $17.25 this morning, over $2 higher than the proposed deal price. That premium is also related to the aforementioned spectrum sale that Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ:LEAP)investors will get a piece of, which is valued at an estimated $2.20 per share. It’s also possible that investors are hopeful of an unsolicited rival bid coming in, which is what happened in the Softbank/Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S)/Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR)/DISH Network Corp (NASDAQ:DISH) situation.
It’s also true that regulators aren’t too keen already on the idea of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) growing its spectrum position even further, so they could potentially move to block the merger like they did when Ma Bell tried to scoop up T MOBILE US INC (NYSE:TMUS) in 2011. AT&T may be willing to sell off spectrum in certain markets to ease regulatory concerns and improve the chances of approval.
Consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge has already spoken out against the deal. In a statement, Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld said, “AT&T already has more wireless capacity than it needs to serve its customers, and it should focus on using what it has rather than continuing to try to buy out competitors.”
There are several hurdles to clear for AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) to acquire Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ:LEAP), but Ma Bell has faith that the deal will close in six to nine months.
The article AT&T Makes a Leap of Faith originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Evan Niu, CFA.
Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.
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