Miriam Gottfried

For T-Mobile US, it may still take two to tango. After Sprint's decision to shelve a plan to bid for its rival, T-Mobile shareholders who had counted on an offer are scanning for other potential suitors.

One possible contender: Dish Network. Owning T-Mobile could help Dish put its wireless spectrum holdings to use if the combined company can invest in building a network based on Dish's airwaves. Dish would avoid the regulatory hurdles that quelled Sprint's ambitions.

But a deeper look at the satellite company's balance sheet suggests a deal might be hard to swing.