SK Telecom still interested in scooping up Sprint?

Some particularly juicy rumors die hard, and this one certainly qualifies: CNBC is reporting that SK Telecom is looking to hook up with some private equity firms to buy out Sprint Nextel, though a deal is "not imminent." This one's been making the rounds since last year, though it's possible that SKT sees some new impetus for making a break into the US market now that it's sold off its share in Helio -- and buying the third largest carrier in the country would certainly qualify as "making a break." It's claimed that SKT's only interested in completing a friendly deal -- no crazy hostile takeovers here -- and some of Sprint's board members aren't keen on the idea at this point, so it's definitely a hit-or-miss proposition. If this all means we can get even half of Korea's domestic hardware on US airwaves, then hey, no complaints on this end.

Update: The Wall Street Journal is now suggesting that Sprint and SKT are investigating some sort of joint venture -- not a full-on acquisition -- that would see the lovebirds work together on handsets and services. Possible, but we're curious to know what exactly Sprint brings to the table in that equation. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

[Erik @ Jul 15th 2008 4:26PM]

oh... People still use sprint? ;)

[GatgetMan @ Jul 15th 2008 5:35PM]

Scooping up sprint, kinda like, scooping up dog sh*t in the park?

[Erik @ Jul 15th 2008 6:15PM]

agreed :)

[xkevin @ Jul 15th 2008 8:02PM]

People who've heard of SERO do. Can't beat unlimited data for under $40 a month...

[Ethyriel @ Jul 15th 2008 10:43PM]

Agreed

I drool at the possibility of SERO prices combined with further reaching and more highly developed Helio class phones.

[Josh @ Jul 16th 2008 11:43AM]

A while back, when Sprint Nextel merged with Clearwire, this expert gave several reasons as to why it won't succeed: http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=617&doc_id=153313&f_src=flffour

So far they haven't really proved him wrong - but we'll have to wait a little more.

[Alec @ Jul 15th 2008 4:27PM]

Another US company being bought by an overseas one? Damn. Pretty soon, America is going to be owned by everyone but America.

[Andrew @ Jul 15th 2008 6:05PM]

Are you serious? That should hardly be a concern for you in this case, the [high tech] jobs will still stay in the US. And they will invest their *money* in your economy. American companies are free to purchase companies abroad and have done so for ages. What's the problem?

Will the company not be American enough for you? If that's a problem for you, you need to look a lot closer at the public companies traded on NYSE etc!!! Anyone, from anywhere, can own a large percentage of your "American" company and you would never know unless you check.

As a European I don't care if the gas station where I purchase my gasoline is called Exxon or [Royal Dutch] Shell? If I go to my local McDonalds, should I care if the people behind the counter are paid by an American franchise? Or if I log on to my PC and go online - does it matter that my laptop was built in Taiwan and uses "American" software? Not to me it doesn't, it's a global economy - get used to it.

[Chris Macdonald @ Jul 15th 2008 8:21PM]

When you were typing that 3 paragraph explanation of a part of the US economy, did you hear a plane flying overhead? Well it wasn't a plane, it was something called sarcasm flying overhead.

[Alec @ Jul 15th 2008 9:18PM]

Not everyone on the Internet is from the United States. You should know that :/

[inteller @ Jul 15th 2008 4:36PM]

someone needs to put sprint out of their misery. It certainly won't be Verizon now that they are scooping Alltel.

At least with SK Telecom you can roam in the US and....S Korea! Oh YAY!

[Big Al @ Jul 15th 2008 4:39PM]

That would be good news for Sprint. SK's led innovation for mobile software in Korea for sometime now. (music downloads, mobile TV, mobile banking, etc.)

They're also pretty knowledgeable about most networks, as they're running HSPA, EVDO, and WiMAX.

[tigerjj85 @ Jul 15th 2008 4:44PM]

I want DMB!!

[pdusk88 @ Jul 15th 2008 6:44PM]

HAHAHAHAHA! I agree 100 percent.

[kjb434 @ Jul 15th 2008 4:48PM]

SK will probably handle the merging of Nextel and Sprints networks better than they have been.

As far as foreign companies owning American ones, the trend that is happening now happened in the late 70s and early 80s. It is cyclical.

[AllenHarkleroad @ Jul 15th 2008 5:44PM]

Sprint overcharged my small (US) company for over $50,000.00. We caught them doing it and now they refuse to refund the over-payments. You can read the full story at http://www.sprint-really-sucks.com

I also wrote an open letter to Dan Hesse the Chairman and CEO of Sprint Nextel. It is a good read so please consider reading the letter.

http://www.sprint-really-sucks.com/open-letter-dan-hesse.aspx

[Skipy @ Jul 15th 2008 6:29PM]

Allen-


Are you going to simply go around to every sprint story and post your stupidity?

I've seen your same post NUMEROUS times! Get a life, and maybe spend some money on some business classes, so you can better run your company.

[Kris @ Jul 15th 2008 7:26PM]

AllenHarkleroad, you're an idiot and your business is doomed to failure. Overpaying Sprint? You didn't catch this until it got to thr $50,000 mark?

You're dumber than Rosie O'Donnell! Sell your business before you destroy it!

[TheSquareRootOf @ Jul 15th 2008 5:44PM]

As someone who has tried AT&T, Cingular, then AT&T+Cingular, T-Mobile, and now Sprint... - I have to honestly say, Sprint is the worst in terms of service and customer support I've had. I've only been a Sprint user for two months now, and I wish I hadn't switched.

Most alarming, I don't have any really bad horror stories. The service is simply poor, weak signal strength, few EVDO RevA towers, dropped calls, no native picture messaging (i.e. you have to use the Sprint picture mail website), and no native tethered data access (extra fee or aircard required)... I haven't needed to talk to customer service about my bill, and I pray I never have to, because in trying to sign up with them or change services on my account, was a nightmare.

When Sprint works though, when I have a good signal that is, I do like it. Overall though, despite T-Mobiles slow data speeds, they were the best I had tried and I wish I had stayed with them. Sprint does have some awesome phones though...

P.S. I'm aware that signal and service quality can vary on where you live and what phone you have - but I live in a major city and have a brand new higher-end phone...

[Kris @ Jul 15th 2008 5:43PM]

They currently have the cheapest data plans in the US? They have a much larger 3G network than AT&T? They have better unlimited plans (Simply Everything included Data, SMS, TeleNav, and SprintTV)?

Their customer service isn't exactly the best but they're hard to beat for Smartphones and data access.

[Kris @ Jul 15th 2008 5:44PM]

This was a reply to Ocean 5 (im not 'clak'). Engadget event said "replying to Ocean 5 (im not 'clak'): but of course it didn't actually reply to him. Ugh.

[Wicker24 @ Jul 15th 2008 5:46PM]

You get 3g on sprint! Wow how did you do that?

[Kris @ Jul 15th 2008 7:24PM]

Wicker24 you moron. Sprint's network has been 3G for years. In fact, EVDO Rev A is called 3.5G on many websites because of its speed.

Go fuck yourself

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Jul 15th 2008 10:26PM]

No one can really beat sprint's everything plan. It has pretty much every single service they offer, and I have to agrre EVDO Rev A. has ben killing other networks in the matter of speed. They are the best for data. If you are also looking for a broadband card, go with sprint because of speed and coverage.

[Skipy @ Jul 15th 2008 5:44PM]

UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal, following up on the CNBC report, says that the two companies have been in preliminary talks “to form a strategic partnership to develop new handsets and services,” according to “people familiar with the matter.” But the WSJ says that the company are not discussing an outright merger.


Just means that Sprint will be ahead of the curve technology wise as usual. Now they need to get their shit together with customer service and getting back to having the best phone lineup in the business- like they did when they 1st started.

[Andrew @ Jul 15th 2008 5:57PM]

Considering the way CDMA is going perhaps it's good industrial investment for the entire Korean economy? Otherwise CDMA is going the way of the dodo - that will make companies like Samsung compete even harder for their revenue (on other cellphone system).

Although Samsung and other Korean brands have good GSM products, the world's #1 phone producer is Nokia (with the market share to prove it).

[Erik @ Jul 15th 2008 6:15PM]

Dude, nobody uses sprint, that's why is won't sirvive.
90% of people use AT&T or verizon

[Jim @ Jul 15th 2008 6:24PM]

@ Wicker24
You're joking, right? Ever heard of something called EV-DO? The iPhone didn't invent 3G 'ya know.

[JB87 @ Jul 15th 2008 6:44PM]

"Customer service? Really?"

Is 20 cumulative hours on the phone with people who barely speak english and months of screwed-up bills afterward resulting from a simple phone exchange reason enough to dislike them?

[Frankenstein Black @ Jul 15th 2008 6:49PM]

I wish PPL would stop with this Sprint and Verizon turned down the iPhone Horse SHYTE. They were never going to get it PERIOD! Apple has been global minded from the start and a CDMA iPhone would have been DUMB! Does anyone think what happened worldwide on 7/11 (a global GSM/UMTS 3G multi-carrier launch) would have been possible with a CDMA iPhone? Answer - NOOOOO!

[Frankenstein Black @ Jul 15th 2008 6:50PM]

I wish PPL would stop with this Sprint and Verizon turned down the iPhone Horse SHYTE. They were never going to get it PERIOD! Apple has been global minded from the start and a CDMA iPhone would have been DUMB! Does anyone think what happened worldwide on 7/11 (a global GSM/UMTS 3G multi-carrier launch) would have been possible with a CDMA iPhone? Answer - NOOOOO!

[Frankenstein Black @ Jul 15th 2008 6:52PM]

Once again victimized by Engadget's commenting system :^(...

[ThePerfectCompanion @ Jul 15th 2008 7:50PM]

When Sprint gets its act together and starts putting out some hot looking phones, provides me with a network who's service isn't hit and miss in different areas of the same town, and finally provides some decent customer service then I'll praise Sprint.

Yes their plans may be better but I'd rather have a nice looking phone and receive some decent one on one care than have a shitty looking smartphone.

Sorry that's just me.

As for 3G my current Sprint phone isn't capable of that so I don't care. Hopefully by the time I'm ready to purchase a new phone Sprint will have changed its attitude by then.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Jul 15th 2008 10:24PM]

In my area, sprint actually has amazing customer service and the best coverage than any other carrier. I'm guessing Chicago is blanketed with full coverage. I've never had a dropped call, go into roaming 'cause of no service, or anything of that sort. In my opinion, Sprint is good. But I guess everything isn't the way you have it for other people.

[cdmaisgay @ Jul 15th 2008 10:59PM]

sprint is dead.

[Neeko @ Jul 15th 2008 11:29PM]

Im sure you can find 100,000 customers who will complain about AT&T,VZ,T-mo and Sprint. So get a clue people. Theres no PERFECT network. I live in westchester NY and work in NYC and my coverage has been perfect. And i pay $60 for a plan that every AT&T,VZ and T-Mo customer would drool over. Customer service has been spotty, but now i just use their CHAT service so i can avoid talking to a rep.

Its fast and easy.

So STFU if u dont like the carrier you have...THEN LEAVE. nobody forces you to stay. As you cancel theyll be another person joining who just left another carrier BITCHING LIKE YOU.