MetroPCS
Wireless carriers such as MetroPCS are looking to compete with the largest carriers by offering a wide range of smartphones. Creative Commons

Shares of MetroPCS Communications (NYSE: PCS) leaped as much as 25 percent Tuesday after Deutsche Telekom (Pink: DTEGY) said it was bidding for a majority stake in the company.

Shares of the Richardson, Texas, mobile carrier eased back to close at $13.57, up $2.05 or 18 percent, valuing the company at $4.9 billion. That’s a far cry from the $39 billion the German company planned to sell its T-Mobile USA unit to AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), the No. 1 telecommunications carrier, for a year ago, in a deal that collapsed under U.S. government pressure.

The alliance would add 9.3 million customers to T-Mobile's 33.9 million, bolstering the Bellevue, Wash., company against AT&T; the Verizon Wireless unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ); the No. 2 U.S. carrier, and Sprint-Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S), the No. 3 carrier.

It also could be seen as a way for Deutsche Telekom to effectively gain a U.S. listing, by shifting T-Mobile into MetroPCS.

Deutsche Telekom, though, cautioned that it needs to resolve “significant issues” before making further announcements. Its U.S. shares closed up 34 cents at $12.57.

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