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T-Mobile sells wireline business to Cogent for $1, expects hefty charge
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
By Yuvraj Malik
(Reuters) – T-Mobile US Inc is doubling down on 5G services after it struck a deal on Wednesday to sell its wireline business to Cogent Communications Holdings Inc for $1, while taking a $1 billion charge on the transaction.
The deal includes a $700 million contract under which Cogent will provide transit services to the carrier for 4-1/2 years after the deal closes.
T-Mobile has been turning its attention away from the wireline business that includes assets from its $26 billion acquisition of Sprint Corp in 2020.
In the most recent earnings call, Chief Executive Michael Sievert said the company was no longer using Sprint infrastructure to support its wireless business and that an asset review was underway.
The wireline business houses communications systems, data processing equipment and fiber optic cable, and earned $739 million in revenue last year.
“We think that T-Mobile must be receiving some sort of discount on the IP transit services that they will be buying from Cogent contractually, and they will save on the costs that they’d otherwise have to keep, maintain and improve (the infrastructure),” said Michael Ashley Schulman, partner and chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors.
For Cogent, the deal provides a U.S. long-haul network that could eventually replace its current leased network and help expand the company’s product set to consumers and enterprises.
Cogent expects its revenue base to be about $1.1 billion, or 180% of its current $600 million run rate, CEO Dave Schaeffer said on a conference call.
The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2023, and T-Mobile said it would book the pre-tax charge in the third quarter of 2022.
Morgan Stanley served as the financial adviser for Cogent, while Houlihan Lokey was T-Mobile’s financial adviser.
(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva and Milla Nissi)
A wireline business refers to telecommunications services that are delivered over physical cables, such as telephone lines or fiber optics, as opposed to wireless communication.
A merger is a business transaction where two companies combine to form a single entity, often to enhance market share, reduce competition, or achieve operational efficiencies.
A financial charge is an expense that a company incurs, which can affect its profitability. In this context, it refers to the $1 billion charge T-Mobile expects to take on the sale of its wireline business.
5G technology is the fifth generation of mobile network technology, providing faster speeds, lower latency, and the ability to connect more devices simultaneously compared to previous generations.
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