Both Sprint and T-Mobile USA, whose proposed merger is still under regulatory review, are missing deadlines as they wait for clarity on their future position, allowing larger rivals AT&T and Verizon to forge ahead in terms of 5G scale and reach. The need to rival or better the big two’s 5G spectrum position is one of the drivers behind TMO’s planned acquisition of Sprint from Softbank. While the ‘Uncarrier’ has the best position in coverage-friendly sub-GHz spectrum in the US, following its purchase of the largest chunk of 600 MHz airwaves in the broadcaster incentive auction, it is less well-placed to deploy significant capacity, necessary for the high bandwidth video and gaming services it is promising its consumers. One of…