“The SoftBank-Sprint transaction is in the advanced stages of receiving the necessary approvals and we expect to consummate the transaction on July 1,” SoftBank said in a statement.
The battle to control Sprint comes as the world’s telecommunications industry is in flux. The parent company of T-Mobile USA, Deutsche Telekom, is moving closer to a multibillion-dollar agreement to buy MetroPCS, while rumors abound that the British cellphone company Vodafone may offload its 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless.
And in Europe, private equity buyers are circling Everything Everywhere, a British cellphone company owned jointly by Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom.
SoftBank, led by the Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son, may yet increase its offer to satisfy Sprint’s shareholders, though the Japanese company could be in line for a major payout if Sprint walks away from the deal.