Historically, large telecom mergers don't end well for consumers or employees. Usually in the wake of these megadeals nothing much happens for about a year, after which the acquiring company begins trimming back redundant positions and offices. In telecom, growth for growth's sake also usually has a detrimental impact on customer service, investment in which takes a back seat to getting acquired systems and employees in sync (see: Comcast). And more often than not, mindless consolidation in telecom tends to slowly reduce overall players in the space, resulting in higher prices and apathy no matter how many promises to the contrary are made by the merging companies (see: Charter, Time Warner Cable).

As T-Mobile and Sprint attempt to merge (once again), their executives are throwing out all the usual claims ahead of such mergers: that the merger will create immeasurable "synergies"; that the reduction of major U.S. wireless competitors from four to three will somehow create competition; that the deal will somehow make it easier for them to deploy next-gen "5G" networks; and that the deal will somehow magically create oodles of new jobs.

At a meeting with Sprint employees this week, T-Mobile CEO John Legere tried to ease employees' worries that many of them would be out of a job once the two carriers are fused into one. This merger, Legere told employees, would somehow be different (he failed to offer any solid reasons why):

"Synergies’ is a scary word for people,” acknowledged T-Mobile’s Legere in comments to Sprint employees during Sprint’s town hall meeting with T-Mobile’s management. “In general, in mergers and in things that are done that are just about survival, synergy usually means people losing jobs, supply going down. This is a very, very unique merger. And as Marcelo [Claure, Sprint’s former CEO] said, when you raise that little right hand and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, when you say we’re going to add jobs, we’re going to add jobs."