US operator Sprint has rejected a takeover deal with US mobile operator MetroPCS in the last hour, after months of talks, according to CNBC sources. The companies were hours away from announcing a deal that would have given MetroPCS shareholders Sprint shares as well as a small amount of cash. The deal would would have had a total value, including debt, of around USD 8 billion, with MetroPCS shareholders owning a third of the combined company. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse endorsed the acquisition but the company board did not, for reasons unclear. Regulatory concerns were reportedly not the reason. The merger would have brought Sprint more spectrum, as well as MetroPCS's 9.3 million subscribers, while giving MetroPCS a share in a company with a national presence.
