Dish in Talks to Buy Boost From Sprint to Lock Up Merger With T-Mo

UPDATE Dish Network Corp. is reportedly in talks with T-Mobile and Sprint regarding the purchase of $6 billion in assets that would help the carriers gain regulatory approval for their merger, according to Bloomberg. Dish is seeking to obtain assets including wireless spectrum and Sprint’s Boost Mobile label, although sources say the talks are tenuous.

The divestitures by the telecoms would be a way for the carriers to comply with the Justice Department, which wants them to sell enough assets to ensure the U.S. maintains at least four viable national wireless players, Inside Towers reported. Representative for Dish and the Justice Department declined to comment to Bloomberg, nor did T-Mobile and Sprint.

Dish, Charter Communications and Altice USA are on a shortlist of bidders for T-Mobile and Sprint assets favored by the DOJ, Inside Towers reported. Though the FCC hasn’t formally approved the T-Mobile-Sprint transaction, two out of the three majority Republicans on the Commission, Chairman Ajit Pai and Commission Brendan Carr, have said they favor the deal, while Commissioner Michael O’Rielly has said he’s “inclined” to back the transaction.