AT&T Seeks Sprint Plans to Compete Following T-Mobile Ruling

AT&T asked US District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle to compel Sprint Nextel to turn over documents regarding its plans to compete in the wireless phone industry after a decision is made on AT&T’s proposed purchase of T-Mobile USA.

AT&T listed 47 areas of interest, including whether Sprint had any plans for a “business combination” with T-Mobile if the AT&T transaction is blocked. AT&T says it needs the documents to defend against the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit seeking to stop the T-Mobile deal. “Sprint is a strong and vibrant competitor as evidenced by events in the past six months -- a fact that is critical to AT&T’s defense of DOJ’s claim that the challenged merger will dampen competition in the mobile wireless industry,” said AT&T lawyer Steven Benz of Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel PLLC. AT&T also requested Sprint’s plans to compete should the $39 billion deal be approved, as well as its analysis of the merger. AT&T is also seeking information on Sprint’s bids for government contracts over the past three years, the identities of Sprint’s business and government customers, and the number and location of proposed cell sites that Sprint planned at some point to deploy and abandoned.