Even without AT&T-Mo, we still have no competition

[Commentary] With AT&T’s proposed deal to purchase T-Mobile now effectively dead, consumers have won, right? T-Mobile customers that enjoy lower rates have no cause to worry a new owner will raise their monthly bill. AT&T still has plenty of spectrum to roll out its LTE network, so most of the country will have speedy mobile broadband access. And existing T-Mobile subscribers won’t have to buy new phones that work on AT&T’s network. However, consumers are no better off than before. I realize that’s a bit of an obvious statement, but the end of the AT&T-Mo situation looks like a potential missed opportunity for consumers to benefit from more carrier competition. Let’s face it: We have four major networks in the U.S. providing voice and data — plus a number of smaller, regional carriers — but unlike most other consumers around the world, we can’t move our phones amongst these networks.