Sprint, Dish Network Could Merge in Unexpected $25.5 Billion Deal

has become one of the most attractive telecommunications companies in the world, having earned a

from Japan-based SoftBank last fall.

Now the company has another suitor:

. The satellite TV giant surprised the world Monday morning when it announced that it is willing to pay

for Sprint. "The DISH proposal clearly presents Sprint shareholders with a superior alternative to the pending SoftBank proposal," Charlie Ergen, Chairman of DISH Network, said in a company release. "Sprint shareholders will benefit from a higher price with more cash while also creating the opportunity to participate more meaningfully in a combined DISH/Sprint with a significantly-enhanced strategic position and substantial synergies that are not attainable through the pending SoftBank proposal." DISH has been interested in entering the wireless carrier market for more than a year. The company had planned to build

to compete against the likes of

and

, but those plans were reportedly

when the FCC denied Dish's request for a waiver. At the time, DISH believed that the waiver would have helped the company "build a new, national high-speed wireless network." By acquiring Sprint, DISH could enter the cellular service market right away. It would automatically gain access to millions of Android and iOS customers, and could use its satellite TV service to promote the launch of new handsets. This is not the first acquisition that DISH has proposed, but it could be the biggest. Two years ago, DISH

in an attempt to bolster its streaming video library. The company also took control of many of the remaining Blockbuster Video outlets, many of which have been closed. An additional

will be shut down this year, resulting in the loss of 3,000 jobs. It seems unlikely that a similar fate could befall Sprint. While the deal is not set in stone (Sprint could go with SoftBank instead or choose to remain public), DISH seems to be more interested in the cellular service market now than it is streaming video. According to

, Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile USA and

have been speculated as potential targets for DISH's strategy. DISH ultimately chose to make an offer for Sprint, however. "We felt like we needed to act now," Thomas Cullen, Dish's executive VP for corporate development, told The Wall Street Journal.