Apple would be spending half its cash pile to acquire a domestic company.
Nearly two-thirds (62%) of the company's sales are international [1]; furthermore, I would guess that much of the company's growth is in international markets, especially in Asia.
Unless Apple is seeking to improve its operational expertise in running carriers in order to buy up carriers throughout the world, this acquisition would be a very curious one.
There are plenty of reasons Apple won't buy a carrier (I think namely because it wouldn't be approved without concessions that Steve Jobs would never live with), but money isn't one of them. Interest rates are very near zero and Apple isn't exactly a credit risk. Not to mention Apple's stock value...
If you are acquiring a 39+ billion dollar company, money is a factor.
Considering Apple's capital structure, interest rates aren't really a key consideration here. "Apple's stock value" reflects the fact that they invest in relatively high return projects and that investors expect them to continue to do so. This type of acquisition would not be satisfactory.
Nearly two-thirds (62%) of the company's sales are international [1]; furthermore, I would guess that much of the company's growth is in international markets, especially in Asia.
Unless Apple is seeking to improve its operational expertise in running carriers in order to buy up carriers throughout the world, this acquisition would be a very curious one.
[1] http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/07/19Apple-Reports-Thir...