T-Mobile and Sprint say they if their proposed merger is approved by the Justice Department and FCC and closes, the combined company "plans" to build five new customer care call centers in the U.S., which it says will mean 5,000 new jobs.
Critics of the deal have cited job losses as one of the reasons to take issue with the merger.
But wait, there's more. The merger partners plan to expand two existing centers, so that will mean another 600 new jobs.
The first new call center will be in Overland Park, Kan., where Sprint is headquartered. (Kansas is also home state of Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai.)
T-Mobile CEO John Legere talked up the status of those call-center employees.
“The heroes who work in our Customer Experience Centers show customers every day why they chose the Un-carrier — and that will not change with the New T-Mobile," he said.
“I am so pleased with the addition of a new Customer Experience Center that New T-Mobile has committed to add 1,000 jobs to Kansas and will continue to grow its second headquarters in Overland Park," Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said. "I look forward to working with the New T-Mobile as it continues to invest in our great state."
The Communications Workers of America, which has said the merger puts call centers at risk, was not convinced. "They are saying everything Justice and the FCC wants to hear in order to get their merger passed," spokesperson Misty Robertson said.
