AT&T Responds to Department of Justice Complaint
AT&T’s back seems to be up against the ropes here. They’ve responded to news earlier today that the Department of Justice would seek to block the proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile, citing anti-trust and anti-competition concerns as reasons why AT&T should not be allowed to gobble up T-Mobile.
“We are surprised and disappointed by today’s action, particularly since we have met repeatedly with the Department of Justice and there was no indication from the DOJ that this action was being contemplated.
We plan to ask for an expedited hearing so the enormous benefits of this merger can be fully reviewed. The DOJ has the burden of proving alleged anti-competitive affects and we intend to vigorously contest this matter in court.
At the end of the day, we believe facts will guide any final decision and the facts are clear. This merger will:
· Help solve our nation’s spectrum exhaust situation and improve wireless service for millions.
· Allow AT&T to expand 4G LTE mobile broadband to another 55 million Americans, or 97% of the population;
· Result in billions of additional investment and tens of thousands of jobs, at a time when our nation needs them most.
We remain confident that this merger is in the best interest of consumers and our country, and the facts will prevail in court.“
And that’s pretty much what they’ve been saying since the announcement was first made, except now they sound a bit more worried that things won’t go as planned.
Evidence has begun to form regarding AT&T’s claims that they need T-Mobile to improve their own network and provide LTE for their consumers – simply put, that’s not entirely true. They also have not been able to provide evidence that “spectrum exhaustion” is a real problem.
And to top that cupcake off with a nice, magenta cherry, AT&T has pretty much refused advice that would help them solve the very “problem” they claim they have. Yep, I think the Department of Justice is on the right track here. [via TmoNews]