Sprint calls off T-Mobile merger; names new CEO
Last week, French telecom Iliad confirmed it made a bid to scoop up T-Mobile for $15 billion. In a statement, Claure says he will focus immediately on "competing aggressively" in the marketplace. "While consolidating makes sense in the long-term, for now, we will focus on growing and repositioning Sprint."
Claure will replace Dan Hesse, who had served as Sprint CEO since 2007. During his tenure, he navigated the wireless carrier's merger with Softbank, completed last year, and shut down Nextel network, which Sprint acquired in 2004.
Although Sprint is the third largest U.S. carrier, the company has struggled to capture the attention of mobile consumers. AT&T and Verizon dominate much of the U.S. mobile market, while T-Mobile has generated buzz over its "Uncarrier" strategy that moves away from traditional mobile contracts. USA Today [Editor's Note: It is not known whether the new CEO will keep the NASCAR Sprint deal going – i.e. whether he thinks NASCAR is the right marketing platform for the Sprint brand.]