Consumers may be losers in an AT&T merger with T-Mobile

[Commentary] It’s no secret that the mobile Internet – smart cellphones and tablets – is a hothouse blossoming with innovation. Every day these devices become more useful (some argue “essential”). The wireless future isn't largely about voice calls: It’s about reading (books, newspapers, magazines), shopping, and staying in touch with social networks. Coming soon will be communicating with other devices (such as a car) and even replacing a credit card to make on-the-spot retail purchases. That’s why federal regulators must take a long, thoughtful look at the proposed merger of wireless carriers AT&T and T-Mobile proposed last week. The merger could threaten the very competition that has benefited consumers and created new opportunities for countless startup companies. Decades ago the federal government broke up a telephone monopoly and brought in an era of unprecedented innovation, choice, and price competition for consumers. Now government may need to step in again to make sure that the heat stays on in the innovative hothouse that was created.