SoftBank Corp. Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son will host a presentation March 11 in Washington to discuss "the state of America's wireless communications industry and the competitive global landscape."
Son is reportedly mulling whether to bid for mobile carrier T-Mobile US Inc. after acquiring control of Sprint Corp. last year.
By getting bigger in the U.S. market, Sprint could offer "aggressive discounts and services," Son said last month. "Without industry consolidation, for Sprint alone to become No. 1 in the U.S. is literally just a dream."
Son and Sprint CEO Dan Hesse met with regulators in Washington to discuss the idea of acquiring T-Mobile and were told there was skepticism such a deal would help competition, sources said.
An emailed invitation to the presentation by SoftBank didn't mention Sprint or T-Mobile. Son's presentation on "the promise of mobile Internet in driving American innovation, the economy and education" will focus on "the crucial role of ultrafast wireless broadband communications in driving innovation, commerce and education — in the U.S. and around the globe," according to the invitation.
Son has transformed SoftBank, founded in Tokyo in 1981 as a wholesaler of packaged computer software, into a full-fledged telecommunications operator via acquisitions. He has so far invested in more than 1,000 companies.
The 56-year-old founder has said he's seeking overseas opportunities because there isn't enough potential for significant growth in Japan after narrowing the gap with bigger NTT Docomo Inc. and KDDI Corp. in wireless subscribers.