Senator Seeks to Stop AT&T, T-Mobile Merger
A top Senate Democrat on antitrust matters on Wednesday called for the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission to block AT&T Inc.’s bid to acquire rival wireless carrier T-Mobile USA.
“I have concluded that this acquisition, if permitted to proceed, would likely cause substantial harm to competition and consumers, would be contrary to antitrust law and not in the public interest, and therefore should be blocked by your agencies,” U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl (D., Wis.), said in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.
Sen. Kohl, who heads a Senate subcommittee that examines antitrust issues, held a hearing on the proposed merger in May. Executives for AT&T and T-Mobile appeared before the subcommittee and defended the deal as good for consumers.
