T-Mobile CEO John Legere believes further consolidation of the mobile industry is a foregone conclusion, but also views the cable industry as a potential partner to the mobile carrier.
“It’s not a matter of if, it’s when,” the exec said Tuesday during the company’s first quarter earnings call, when asked by MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett to weigh on the general benefits of consolidation. "I still reiterate that in five years, we will think it comical that we thought about the industry structure as the four major wireless carriers."
Legere was also asked to reflect on the recent scuttling of the proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger and how that alters his view on the feasibility of more consolidation of the wireless industry. The question came up as speculation swirls about what Comcast might do next, and whether the MSO might try to make a business connection with T-Mobile.
"I think you need to think about the cable industry and players like us as not competitors but potential partners and alternatives for each other in the future," Legere said, acknowledging that cable has had interest in WiFi/cellular integrations.
Last year, Sprint scrapped its $32 billion attempt to tie the knot with T-Mobile after determining that the regulatory hurdles were too high.
