The Justice Department Friday cleared T-Mobile’s long-delayed $26.5 billion merger with Sprint, a deal that critics say will reduce competition for wireless service and lead to higher prices. To win approval, the companies agreed to sell assets to Dish intended to help the company, which now provides satellite TV service, launch a new wireless carrier. The Justice Department blessing clears a major hurdle, but the deal still faces an antitrust suit from 13 states and the District of Columbia that could mean further delays.

If completed, the deal would strengthen T-Mobile’s position as the nation’s third-largest wireless carrier, with almost 114 million subscribers, after accounting for the 9 million Sprint customers that will be transferred to Dish. AT&T is the largest wireless carrier, with 156 million customers, and Verizon second with 118 million, according to the companies’ most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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