WASHINGTON – According to media reports on Monday evening, a U.S. District Court judge in New York is expected to approve the proposed merger between T-Mobile and Sprint.
The judge’s decision, expected Tuesday, reportedly rules against attorneys general from 13 states and the District of Columbia, who argued the deal would crush competition and raise prices.
The merger would combine two of the four nationwide wireless carriers. No matter how it may be conditioned, the deal would eliminate choices and raise prices for wireless customers. As Free Press analysis has shown, it will disproportionately harm low-income people and communities of color, who rely on competition between Sprint and T-Mobile and their prepaid brands to keep access affordable.
Free Press Vice President of Policy and General Counsel Matt Wood made the following statement:
“How many times will judges and antitrust enforcers be fooled by the empty promises these companies make to get these deals approved? Using an unhealthy mix of hubris, bad judgment and petty politics, the FCC’s Republican majority and Donald Trump’s attorney general for antitrust decided to wave this deal through — reportedly ignoring the advice of staff at both agencies who had called to reject it. More than a dozen state AGs rightly stepped in to fill the void, making the obvious case that the competition between Sprint and T-Mobile benefits all wireless users and especially those who seek out lower-priced plans and greater value.
“If tonight’s reports are true, this deal would be most harmful to the two carriers’ poorer and more urban customer base, who would pay dearly for this combination after yet another failure by our nation’s antitrust enforcers. We’ll await the final decision to understand how and why the judge may have sided with the merger applicants and their empty promises, but tonight’s leaks are nothing but bad news for people already paying too much for essential communications services.”