Not likely that either Sprint or T-Mobile initially factored a government shutdown into their merger timeline, but that application (and many other activities), have gotten caught in the dragnet. The FCC announced early in the week that it would be forced to suspend activity in a number of areas by mid-day yesterday, but would continue “work required for the protection of life and property.” Scheduled to be shutdown are activities involving consumer complaints and inquiries, licensing services and equipment authorizations.