More merger options for both T-Mobile and Dish

New York

FOR T-Mobile US Inc, a deal with satellite-TV provider Dish Network Corp isn't the only option - and it may not be the best one either.

The fourth-largest US wireless carrier has climbed 15 per cent since Sprint Corp decided in August to drop its bid for T-Mobile because of regulatory pressure.

Earnings at the US$32 billion company have gotten better, too, as it gained more subscribers. Because of that, T-Mobile's German parent Deutsche Telekom AG can command top dollar for what is probably the last major US mobile-phone service provider still obtainable.

"T-Mobile has outperformed their expectations, that's for sure," said Sergey Dluzhevskiy, a Rye, New York-based analyst at Gabelli & Co. "They are going t…