this might help me make my phone choice easier. my alltel contract is up January and I like to get the Storm but if the merger is not done till mid year or later then I might consider the htc diamond. If we get that one. I also like the sound of htc HD. In my little neck of the woods there is no verizon now at all. Just alltel, sprint, ATT

It was never designed to close before mid December - if it does happen before the end of 2008, I'd be surprised - but mid '09 is pushing it. Q1-09 is my guess.

that has been the timeline all along. First they need FCC approval and DOJ. Then they need to comply with what they say they need to do before it happens. Then they will purchase them. Then months later will the take full control of them.

hell look at suncom they were finalized months ago with tmobile and suncom is still selling service.

Its not a fast process like people think.

All I know is that a lot of SEC and FCC Lawyers are going to have a really good Christmas this year. 😉

I bet mid-'09 is right, if it doesn't take even longer. FCC approval won't come until after the election cycle, probably Jan-Feb '09, and then they'll have to do everything outlined in the FCC's terms, including selling off all of their network that overlaps Alltel's (probably a good 75% of their network). Who knows how long that'll take. I'd say nothing happens on the consumer level until Q3 or even Q4 of 2009.