FCC to combine reviews of AT&T's Qualcomm, T-Mobile deals

The Federal Communications Commission decided to combine its review of AT&T’s attempt to buy rival T-Mobile for $39 billion with a smaller deal in which AT&T is attempting to purchase the wireless licenses currently held by Qualcomm.

In a letter issued by the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, the FCC concluded that there is enough evidence that the impact of the two deals is related and that they will be considered at the same time. A coalition of public interest groups pushed the agency to consolidate the two reviews in late April, arguing that the two deals in tandem give too much market power to AT&T. Free Press, Media Access Project, Public Knowledge, Consumers Union and the Open Technology Initiative of the New America Foundation argued that the two deals have a multiplier effect. Cincinnati Bell Wireless, MetroPCS Communications, NTELOS, the Rural Cellular Association, the Rural Telecommunications Group and Sprint Nextel also asked for the combined review for similar reasons.