After being sued by the Department of Justice, AT&T and T-Mobile have a hearing set for September 21, where Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle expects the two companies to reach a settlement. The DoJ says that a merger between AT&T and T-Mobile would be anti-competitive, and would “remove a significant competitive force from the market.” Sprint, who is also suing to block the merger, would never be able to compete with the likes of AT&T and Verizon.
The NYTimes reports:
While the government’s criticism of the deal was harsh, officials have also suggested that there was room to negotiate. At an Aug. 31 news conference, Sharis A. Pozen, the acting assistant attorney general, said: “We apprised them of our serious concerns. And as any party can do, our door is open.”
Despite all the odds against it, AT&T is expecting to reach some kind of solution to the lawsuits so that it can move forward with the merger. At any rate, things aren’t looking very promising for the carrier. The government, other carriers, customers and even its own employees don’t feel too comfortable with the move.
And what about you, dear reader? Has your mind changed at all about the proposed acquisition since it was announced in March? Or do you still feel the same as you did then?
[Via: NYTimes]