Another state public utilities commission has approved T-Mobile and Sprint’s merger.

Hawaii’s PUC recently announced that it has approved of the proposed T-Mobile and Sprint merger, subject to conditions. Those include offering every W-2 retail employee of T-Mobile and Sprint a job with the New T-Mobile. On the third anniversary of the merger’s closing, the New T-Mobile must file a report with the Hawaii PUC on the total of W-2 employees, and if the number has decreased, the company must explain why.

The New T-Mobile must also work to deliver 5G coverage to 90 percent of its FCC licensed POPs in Hawaii within three to five years of its merger, says the Hawaii PUC, and all existing Sprint contracts must be honored. Another condition is that the combiend company must file a report with the Hawaii PUC on the third anniversary of the merger’s closing to show New T-Mobile’s progress toward meeting its projected price reduction in ARPU. An annual report on that projected price reduction on ARPU will follow through and including 2026.

With Hawaii’s PUC getting on board with the merger, that means that T-Mobile and Sprint have secured approval from 18 of the 19 necessary state PUCs. The only one remaining is California. Of course, T-Mo and Sprint also need the U.S. Department of Justice’s approval on the deal before it can be completed. It’s unclear how the DOJ will come down on the merger, but rumors have suggested that it wants T-Mobile and Sprint to help create a fourth major U.S. carrier in order to get their merger approved.

Thanks, Ben!

Source: Hawaii PUC