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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →T-Mobile US acquired Sprint on April 1, 2020, and Sprint is no longer an independent U.S. wireless carrier. T-Mobile controls the former Sprint business; Deutsche Telekom is T-Mobile’s controlling stockholder. But not everything associated with Sprint went to T-Mobile: DISH Network acquired Sprint’s divested prepaid business, including Boost Mobile and Sprint-branded prepaid customers.
The ownership answer at a glance
| What “Sprint” means | Who controls or owns it now |
|---|---|
| Former Sprint Corporation and the business retained in the merger | T-Mobile US, Inc. Sprint and its subsidiaries became wholly owned consolidated subsidiaries of T-Mobile when the merger closed on April 1, 2020. T-Mobile’s SEC filing describes the transaction. |
| T-Mobile US | Deutsche Telekom AG is its controlling stockholder, not its sole owner. T-Mobile’s 2026 proxy reports approximately 54.5% voting control as of March 31, 2026. T-Mobile’s 2026 proxy statement |
| Sprint’s divested prepaid wireless business, including Boost Mobile | DISH Network acquired the prepaid business in a transaction completed July 1, 2020. The Department of Justice confirmed the closing. |
| Sprint as a separate national consumer carrier | It is no longer marketed as the surviving national carrier brand; T-Mobile became the customer-facing brand. |
In short: Deutsche Telekom controls T-Mobile, T-Mobile owns the former Sprint business that it retained, and DISH owns the divested Sprint prepaid business. Those are different links in the chain, not competing answers.
How Sprint moved from SoftBank to T-Mobile
Before the merger, Sprint Corporation was controlled by Japan-based SoftBank Group. The Justice Department’s merger-case announcement identified SoftBank’s control of Sprint and described the remedy that allowed the transaction to proceed. DOJ final-judgment announcement
- SoftBank controlled Sprint before the merger. SoftBank was the key owner of the U.S. operating company in the years before T-Mobile acquired it.
- T-Mobile and Sprint agreed to combine in 2018. The proposed transaction faced federal regulatory review and state antitrust challenges.
- Regulatory approval came with conditions. The federal settlement required the divestiture of Sprint’s prepaid business and included a separate remedy concerning Sprint’s 800 MHz spectrum.
- The merger closed April 1, 2020. Sprint and its subsidiaries became wholly owned consolidated subsidiaries of T-Mobile under the merger structure.
- The customer and network transition followed over time. The closing date was not the date every account, store, device, plan, or network component changed.
SoftBank did not remain the owner of Sprint as an independent company after closing. It received an equity interest in the combined T-Mobile under the merger arrangements, which is different from continuing to own Sprint. Immediately after the merger, Deutsche Telekom held approximately 43.6% and SoftBank approximately 24.7% of T-Mobile’s outstanding common stock, according to T-Mobile’s 2020 filing. Those are historical merger-era figures, not current ownership percentages. T-Mobile’s 2020 filing
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For the current control figure, T-Mobile’s 2026 proxy reports Deutsche Telekom’s approximately 54.5% voting control as of March 31, 2026. That makes Deutsche Telekom the controlling stockholder, but does not mean it owns all of T-Mobile; T-Mobile remains a publicly traded company with other shareholders. T-Mobile’s 2026 proxy statement
What T-Mobile acquired—and what was separated
The former Sprint business retained by T-Mobile
The transaction was a corporate merger, not merely a purchase of the Sprint name. Sprint’s corporate subsidiaries and the business retained in the combination became part of T-Mobile’s structure. The merger involved customer operations, contracts, network assets and spectrum, as well as corporate obligations. Sprint ceased to operate as an independent national carrier, while integration of customers and infrastructure took place in stages.
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The prepaid business acquired by DISH
As a condition of the merger settlement, DISH acquired Sprint’s prepaid wireless business, including Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Sprint-branded prepaid operations. The DOJ announced that the transaction closed July 1, 2020. DISH’s annual filing describes its acquisition of the prepaid business and entry into retail wireless with more than 9 million customers under the Boost brand. DISH’s 2020 annual filing
The transaction was described as approximately $1.4 billion for the prepaid business. A separate part of the DOJ remedy provided for DISH to acquire Sprint’s nationwide 800 MHz spectrum licenses for approximately $3.6 billion. These were distinct arrangements, not one transfer of every Sprint asset to DISH. T-Mobile’s announcement of the DOJ settlement
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DISH’s ownership of the divested Boost business should not be confused with network operation. T-Mobile provided certain network services and infrastructure support to DISH under transitional and network-access arrangements described in T-Mobile’s filings. A company can own a wireless business while purchasing access to another company’s network; network access by itself does not make T-Mobile the owner of Boost. T-Mobile’s 2020 annual filing
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to Sprint’s network and spectrum?
“Sprint’s network” can refer to several different things: the former CDMA network, radio equipment and sites, spectrum licenses, or the services customers received. They did not all have the same destination or end on the same day.
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- Network integration and retirement occurred in stages. T-Mobile integrated or repurposed parts of the former Sprint network and migrated customers toward T-Mobile systems and service. The merger closing date should not be treated as a single shutdown date for all legacy infrastructure.
- The 800 MHz spectrum was a specific regulatory carve-out. The DOJ remedy addressed Sprint’s nationwide 800 MHz licenses for acquisition by DISH; it did not transfer all Sprint spectrum to DISH.
- Other Sprint-associated spectrum and assets were handled separately. The merger included assets retained and integrated by T-Mobile, so it is inaccurate to say either that all Sprint spectrum went to DISH or that every asset went to T-Mobile.
- Temporary network access did not change ownership. Transitional services enabled continuity while DISH developed its wireless business; service provider, spectrum owner and retail brand are distinct roles.
What happened to Sprint customers?
Former Sprint postpaid customers generally became T-Mobile customers through a phased transition of accounts, billing and network service. Depending on the account and device, a customer might have needed a replacement SIM or a compatible phone. Former Sprint prepaid customers could instead have been part of the business transferred to DISH. A Sprint logo on an old phone, bill or plan does not establish which company currently serves the account.
To identify the current provider for a particular line, check:
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- The company named on the current bill or payment receipt.
- The account website or app used to manage service.
- The carrier profile associated with the SIM or eSIM.
- The current account type: T-Mobile postpaid, Boost prepaid, or another service.
- The device’s current network connection and compatibility with the provider’s service.
For former Sprint shareholders, the merger changed Sprint’s corporate ownership structure and provided consideration under the merger agreement; Sprint is no longer a standalone public-company investment under its old identity. T-Mobile’s merger-information page provides transaction details for former shareholders. T-Mobile merger information
Does Sprint still exist?
| Meaning of “Sprint” | Answer |
|---|---|
| Independent U.S. national carrier | No. The merger closed in 2020, and T-Mobile became the surviving national carrier brand. |
| Former corporation and legal entities | Sprint and its subsidiaries became wholly owned consolidated subsidiaries of T-Mobile at closing. That does not establish that every legal entity, contract, license or obligation ended on that date. |
| Consumer brand | Sprint is effectively a retired legacy brand for nationwide wireless service; T-Mobile is the surviving consumer brand. |
| Prepaid operation | The divested Sprint prepaid business, including Boost, went to DISH rather than remaining with T-Mobile. |
Why the answer can seem contradictory
“Sprint” can mean the former corporation, the national carrier, a customer’s old account, a brand, a network, spectrum, or the prepaid operation. Those meanings split across different companies after the merger. Someone with a former Sprint postpaid account may now deal with T-Mobile, while a former Sprint prepaid customer may have ended up in the DISH-owned Boost business. Likewise, T-Mobile may provide network access to DISH without owning the Boost business.
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