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bob_super [soylentnews.org] writes:

Illad, the owner of the French internet and cell phone provider Free, has announced [bloomberg.com] a $15B bid to take a controlling stake in T-Mobile.

T-mobile is currently in discussions with Sprint (controlled by Softbank of Japan) for a merger which would reduce the US carriers from 4 to 3. It is expected that the current regulators would favor a takeover leaving 4 carriers to compete

The arrival of Free in the US market would potentially be a great thing from consumers. In their home market in France, their offerings have forced their competitors to match their DSL triple play and 'unlimited' Cell plans below 30 Euros per month each. They even offer cell service starting at 2 Euros per month. Whether any of this is applicable in the US market is the question they're ready to bet $15 Billion on.

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