Honestly speaking, consumers lose in AT&T-DirecTV deal

[Commentary] Why can't AT&T and DirecTV just man up and admit the truth: "We're merging because this will give us more clout against the cable industry in our efforts to dominate the market." Two words were noticeably lacking in their deal announcement: "lower prices." Instead, the companies touted their ability to offer "new bundles," "a more competitive bundle" and "a better bundle" of phone, Internet, TV and wireless services. And that's fine for AT&T, which wants to lock people in to as many services as possible to make it harder for them to jump ship. For consumers, however, bundles of telecom options are a far lower priority than reduced bills and better overall service. So when AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson says the deal is "pro-consumer," what he really means is "pro-company." His company, in particular. "These companies don't care about providing better services or even connecting more Americans," said Craig Aaron, president of the advocacy group Free Press,. "It's about eliminating the last shred of competition in a communications sector that's already dominated by too few players."