Amazon could soon own a mobile network – then watch out!
If you think Amazon is working towards a tech monopoly now, just wait until the company owns its own mobile phone network.
According to the reports from the United States, Amazon is interested in buying Boost Mobile from the T-Mobile and Sprint networks.
Sources ‘familiar with the matter’, according to Reuters, say Amazon is considering snapping up the MVNO because it would enable the firm to access T-Mobile’s wireless network for at least the next six years.
That’s due to the potential merger between the T-Mobile and Sprint networks – the third and fourth most popular networks in the United States. If the merger goes through, the combined networks will be known as New T-Mobile.
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The Boost network is likely to come on the market because the two major networks have pledged to sell the MVNO in a bid to get their controversial merger past the US Department of Justice. According to previous reports, the network is worth up to $3 billion.
According to the report, Amazon is also interested in picking up any of that valuable wireless spectrum that might be divested as a result of the merger. Due to the opposition to the potential merger, that spectrum may be up for grabs as a means of getting the merger through.
If Amazon were to acquire access to mobile spectrum or own an MVNO, it might enable the firm to boost the connectivity offered by its Alexa-powered speakers. Currently, if the speakers are taken outside of mobile network range, they’re less functional than those within the house.
However, if Amazon was able to offer users cellular connectivity with Echo speakers, then it might boost sales and give Amazon access to all that valuable data while Alexa users are hanging out in the park. Either way, it appears the company has designs on expanding the reach of its devices.