T-Mobile, Sprint chiefs to defend deal on Capitol Hill, again

WASHINGTON: The chief executives of T-Mobile US Inc and Sprint Corp, which are seeking to merge, head back to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to defend their planned $26 billion deal.

T-Mobile Chief Executive John Legere and Marcelo Claure, executive chairman of Sprint, will be the stars among the six witnesses who testify before the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee’s Antitrust subcommittee. Legere said during a run in Washington on Sunday that he posted on Twitter that he was “really looking forward” to the hearing.

The agreement to combine the No. 3 and No. 4 U.S. wireless carriers, struck in April, was approved by both companies’ shareholders in October and has received national security clearance, but needs approval from the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission.