Shentel begins talks with TMUS

Shenandoah Telecommunications (Shentel), a Sprint-affiliated regional telecoms provider, said it and T‑Mobile US (TMUS) had now begun “preliminary conversations” regarding the future of its wireless assets. Speaking ahead of completion of the Sprint–TMUS mega‑merger, Christopher French, President & Chief Executive of Shentel, said he expects talks with TMUS to “pick up in substance over the coming weeks” (Deutsche Telekomwatch, #91). “We will continue to work towards attaining an outcome that is in the best interest of our shareholders”, he added. As noted previously, clauses in Shentel’s contract with Sprint give the merged Sprint–TMUS entity a call option over its wireless business, which serves around one million users in parts of Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia (Deutsche Telekomwatch, #91). If that is passed up, Shentel is entitled to purchase what it refers to as “legacy T‑Mobile network and subscribers” in its footprint — although it is not yet clear exactly what assets this covers.