The Case Against AT&T&T

[Commentary] The communications world was rocked last week when AT&T, the 2nd largest national wireless carrier announced that it was buying T-Mobile, the fourth (out of four) largest national wireless carrier for $39 Billion.

If the merger is approved, the combined entity would serve anywhere between 42-44% of all wireless subscribers, and together, AT&T&T and Verizon would control nearly 80% of all subscribers, with a weakened Sprint far behind. So much for the wonderfully competitive wireless market that is the mantra of every debate on network neutrality and broadband deployment! As others have said, there are no winners in this merger other than AT&T and to a lesser extent, T-Mobile. And the biggest loser of all is you, the consumer, because you will be faced with fewer choices, likely higher prices and less innovation. T-Mobile, a feisty competitor that is known for its low prices, unlimited bandwidth and relative openness to new applications and services will be swallowed by AT&T, a company that is famous for high prices, low bandwidth caps and a history of blocking innovative applications (Skype, Sling and Google, to name just three).