Dish pressures Sprint with raised offer for Clearwire SoftBank is set to acquire 70pc of Sprint, the number three US carrier behind AT&T and Verizon Wireless, later this year, if shareholders and US regulators approve the deal. Softbank President Masayoshi Son has agreed a deal to take a 70pc stake in Sprint The Japanese company has offered Sprint shareholders $12bn the stake and to inject $8bn into Sprint, which has been struggling to win customers from US market leaders AT&T and Verizon. "This seriously complicates Sprint's bid for Clearwire," New Street analyst Jonathan Chaplin said in a research note, adding that the offer was good news for Clearwire's minority owners, many of whom are unhappy with Sprint's offer. But Mr Chaplin also noted complications for Dish, which he said "has conditioned its offer on terms that Sprint can block." One problem for Dish and other potential Clearwire investors is that Clearwire needs approval from Sprint in order to sell the company or accept a new investor. Sprint wants Clearwire's spectrum and broadband WiMax network, which is becoming more valuable with the surge of mobile Internet use. It needs approval from more than 50pc of Clearwire's majority shareholders in order to buy the company.