Sprint CEO Dan Hesse declined to comment specifically...

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse declined to comment specifically on continued speculation about a possible Sprint/T-Mobile US merger, but said during a Tuesday conference call with investors that he continues to believe further consolidation of the U.S. wireless industry beyond top carriers Verizon Wireless and AT&T “would be healthy for the competitive dynamic of the industry. It would be better for the country, and better for consumers, and I still believe that that’s very much the case.” The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Sprint and T-Mobile were rethinking the feasibility of a merger after FCC and Department of Justice officials publicly signaled concerns about a possible deal. Some industry observers said those statements were nearly unprecedented, with one saying they constituted “regulation by raised eyebrow” (CD Feb 6 p1). Sprint added a net 58,000 postpaid subscribers during Q4, beating analysts’ consensus expectations that the No. 3 carrier would report a net loss of 365,000 subscribers during the quarter. Sprint also added 322,000 prepaid subscribers and 302,000 wholesale and affiliate subscribers during the quarter. Sprint lost a net $1.04 billion for the quarter on $9.14 billion in operating revenue. The carrier had a net loss of $1.35 billion for the same period in 2012. Sprint shares closed up 2.73 percent at $7.90.