AT&T was assumed to be a likely predator for Vodafone, once the UK-based giant was divorced from its US joint venture with Verizon. That break-up makes Vodafone somewhat smaller and more digestible for a bidder, as well as removing conflicts of interest for a buyer with strong US presence. But with AT&T demurring, it might be pre-empted by Japan’s Softbank, majority owner of Sprint. Softbank is reported to be evaluating a bid for Vodafone as maverick CEO Masayoshi Son grows frustrated with regulatory barriers to his Plan A ‘ to buy T-Mobile USA and create a third US cellco with real scale to challenge the big two. Although Softbank/Sprint has not made a bid for TMo, intense speculation has led…