Five Things Wrong with AT&T's Mega-Merger

[Commentary] AT&T's $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile USA is yet another in the series of large telecom mergers that over time are slowly reassembling the Ma Bell monopoly of old. It's now left to federal regulators at the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission to decide what's really best for Americans. Should they let two national carriers dominate our mobile world? Would giving AT&T and Verizon near complete control benefit smart phone users, create more jobs, make broadband access widespread, and fuel our sputtering economy?

Here are five reasons that all Americans should be concerned:

1. The merger would further erode what little competition exists in the wireless market.
2. The merger would result in higher prices and fewer choices for wireless consumers.
3. This merger will kill tens of thousands of US jobs.
4. This merger is a raw deal for American innovation.
5. The merger is a threat to free speech and openness on the wireless web.