DOJ's "Not Yet" Response to a Merger of DISH and DIRECTV Is a Win for T-Mobile

 As was the case a couple of years ago, the U.S. Department of Justice still isn't interested in letting satellite television brands DISH Network (NASDAQ:DISH) and AT&T (NYSE:T)-owned DIRECTV merge into the sole company of its kind -- at least not yet.

The DOJ's chief concern is a potential lack of competition in rural areas, where satellite dishes are often consumers' only option for cable TV. According to the New York Post, the DOJ's antitrust arm would only be willing to reconsider the idea once additional 5G coverage is available in the country's more outlying areas.

It makes sense. While computer engineering vs computer science wireless speeds aren't cut out for data-heavy digital video transmissions, 5G speeds are. And of course, these connections won't require physical lines stretched all the way to remote customers' homes. A nearby cell tower will do the trick.

If 5G is the only missing link for these consumers, though, once they finally get it, they won't need a satellite dish at all. They can simply buy streaming cable from the company most likely to provide their wireless at-home internet service. That may well be T-Mobile (NASDAQ:TMUS), which has been working on such a product for years.