James Cicconi, head of AT&T lobbying effort, confident in approval of T-Mobile deal

If one AT&T executive is considered crucial in the company’s quest to win over federal regulators and merge with T-Mobile USA, that person would be James W. Cicconi.

At the helm of AT&T’s vast lobbying operation, the vet­eran Republican playmaker displays little fear that his company’s wager — gobbling up a small competitor to form a wireless industry giant — will fail. “We don't believe for a moment that [a rejection] will occur. We’re a very careful and cautious company in our strategic decisions,” Cicconi said. He added that the company has no need for a backup plan, such as filing suit against the government if regulators nix the deal. “We understand the antitrust laws ... and we've examined all these with great care. We wouldn't be doing this deal if we did not expect approval.”

But AT&T faces risks if its proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile does not receive the blessing of the Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission, the two agencies charged with approving the deal. First, it would have to hand over to T-Mobile $3 billion in breakup fees, which is about three times the profit AT&T made in last year’s fourth quarter. Without T-Mobile’s added spectrum, AT&T would also continue to struggle with its 3G wireless network, which has been frequently criticized for dropped calls.

“If a company like ours is having bandwidth constraints, you have to ration that bandwidth — pricing is usually the way you do it,” Cicconi said. “That’s the story we’re going to lay out at the Justice Department and FCC, and that’s why we hope consumers keep an open mind.”