Dish Gets a Sprint Deal, Just Not the One It First Wanted

The two companies plan to offer, on a trial basis, a fixed wireless Internet service to be installed by Dish using Sprint’s airwaves.

T-Mobile Taps MetroPCS’ Spectrum to Boost LTE Network Speeds

The No. 4 U.S. carrier is using airwaves from its recent MetroPCS acquisition to boost its top network speeds. First up was North Dallas, where the higher speeds kicked in just before Thanksgiving.

News Byte

Pay-As-You-Go Hotspot Provider Karma Says It Will Expand to Sprint Network

Karma, which offers pay-as-you-go mobile hotspot service for $14 per gigabyte, said on Wednesday that it plans to expand next year from Clearwire’s WiMax network to Sprint’s faster LTE network. The carrier — part of a crop of so-called mobile virtual network operators — aims to grow by letting customers earn free data by sharing their hotspot with others nearby.

Voices

The FCC Veers Off Course on Mobile Auctions

There is no evidence that crippling spectrum auctions would accomplish the Obama administration’s policy objectives for universal broadband.
mobile antennae

Sprint Sold 1.4 Million iPhones Last Quarter but Lost Two Million Subscribers Amid Nextel Shutdown

The shutdown of the Nextel network led to a major subscriber drop for the No. 3 U.S. cell phone carrier.

AllThingsD’s Week in Review: A New, New Microsoft, and a $23.5 Billion iPhone Bill for Verizon

The week in AllThingsD, in one convenient post. You’re welcome!

FreedomPop Rakes In Another $5 Million to Fund Free Mobile Service

The Niklas Zennstrom-backed upstart is bulking up its coffers ahead of its initial phone launch later this summer.

Done Deal: SoftBank Now Firmly in Control of Sprint

With Dish out of the running, and shareholders and regulators having given their blessing, the Japanese company now holds a majority stake in the No. 3 U.S. carrier.

News Byte

Sprint Closes Its Clearwire Purchase, With SoftBank Deal Set to Be Final on Wednesday

Sprint said on Tuesday that it has completed its $5-per-share acquisition of wireless network provider Clearwire. The closure comes a day ahead of the expected closure of SoftBank’s deal to acquire a controlling interest in Sprint.

With Sprint Deal Nearly Sealed, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son Is Getting Down to Business

Billions will be invested in the No. 3 U.S. carrier, Son said. Also, SoftBank and Sprint will open a joint research center in Silicon Valley as early as the end of this year.