t-mobile

Last update: 8:20 a.m. PT

Sprint Nextel has confirmed that it's holding discussions with Softbank regarding a "substantial investment" by the Japanese mobile carrier.

The confirmation came several hours after a report in the Wall Street Journal said, citing sources, that Softbank is in advanced talks to acquire the U.S.-based carrier for $12.8 billion. Beyond that, details are slim, and there's no telling if the companies might actually arrive at any kind of a deal.

Sprint's statement stopped short of saying that the company would accept a full buyout:

Sprint appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach on a possible acquisition bid for MetroPCS.

The No. 3 wireless carrier is delaying a counteroffer in an effort to examine Deutsche Telekom's plan to merge the prepaid carrier with T-Mobile, sources tell Bloomberg. The company is reportedly holding its counteroffer for a chance to see Deutsche Telekom's proxy filing to examine details of the German communications giant's negotiations.

CNET has contacted Sprint for comment and will update this report when we learn more.

Deutsche Telekom, which owns T-Mobile, announced a plan last week to buy MetroPCS and combine it with T-Mobile. … Read more

T-Mobile USA may be behind its rivals when it comes to 4G LTE, but that doesn't mean it's mincing words about its ambitions.

AT&T and Verizon Wireless may be able to boast of a super-fast wireless connection now, but T-Mobile believes it can one-up both of them when it finally gets its LTE network rollout going next year.

"LTE today is good, but LTE tomorrow can be great," Ray said in an interview with CNET today. "That's the opportunity we hope to secure and differentiate ourselves with."

The key to T-Mobile'… Read more

T-Mobile added another Windows Phone 8 handset today by announcing the Nokia Lumia 810. A variant of the previously announced Lumia 820 that's optimized for T-Mobile's network, the Lumia 810 will be available "in the coming weeks."

The Lumia 810 will deliver a 4.3-inch display, interchangeable covers in cyan and black, an 8-megaixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, a 1.2-megapixel front-facing shooter, Nokia Music and Nokia Maps, and support for T-Mobile's HSPA+ data network. The carrier did not announce pricing, but like the earlier Lumia 710, it should come in at under $100 … Read more

The day before MobileCon kicks off in San Diego, T-Mobile and LG prime the mobile pump by unveiling the LG Optimus L9.

Running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the midrange handset also features a 4.5-inch qHD display made with Corning Gorilla Glass 2, a 1GHz dual-core processor, and a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and 1080p HD video recording.

There's also a large 2,150mAh battery onboard, and LG's Quick Memo app. There's no pricing or availability information yet, but we're hoping to learn more when we (hopefully) see the phone tomorrow at MobileCon.… Read more

Deutsche Telekom is doubling down on its U.S. wireless subsidiary T-Mobile USA with a plan to buy the prepaid regional carrier MetroPCS. But what's it mean for wireless subscribers?

Yesterday, Deutsche Telekom announced it had agree to buy MetroPCS and combine it with T-Mobile USA. The move is an indication that T-Mobile's German parent isn't giving up on the wireless carrier, which spent most of last year in a holding pattern while regulators considered AT&T's $39 billion bid to buy the company. Regulators didn't like the idea of the No. 2 AT&… Read more

Sprint may want MetroPCS for itself.

Bloomberg reports that the number-three U.S. wireless carrier is considering its own offer for prepaid provider MetroPCS, which yesterday announced a deal with Deutsche Telekom to merge with the U.S. wireless provider T-Mobile.

The news service says that Sprint, which had been close to its own deal to buy MetroPCS earlier this year, is talking to advisers about whether it should offer a higher price to buy the company. Sprint had been re-evaluating a play for MetroPCS a few weeks ago before T-Mobile announced its deal, unnamed sources told Bloomberg.

On Wednesday, … Read more

The planned merger between nationwide carrier T-Mobile USA and prepaid provider MetroPCS is not a repeat of the failed merger between Sprint and Nextel back in 2005, T-Mobile CEO John Legere said during a conference call with the press today.

This deal, he said, is about gaining more spectrum in an effort to challenge bigger competitors like AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

"This is not a Sprint/Nextel do-over," Legere said. "This deal is not about simply surviving. It's about driving growth. When we add MetroPCS to the aggressive challenger strategy (of T-Mobile) it will … Read more