T-Mobile’s lobbying spending may be paying off

T-Mobile, the nation’s No. 4 wireless carrier, is keeping up the investment in Washington lobbying that’s helped the upstart compete against its far bigger rivals by buying companies and acquiring better frequencies.

T-Mobile, which is only a fraction of the size of its giant rivals AT&T and Verizon, began bulking up on Washington muscle after AT&T announced it planned to buy the smaller rival in 2011 and then doubled down when the Justice Department blocked the deal. The lobbying investment is intended to help T-Mobile turn telecommunications policies to its favor. T-Mobile -- which has also cut prices to better compete -- spent $5.2 million on lobbying in 2013, according to the latest filing in the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure Act Database. That’s almost unchanged from the prior year but represents a 74 percent increase from 2010. T-Mobile’s lobbying prowess will be tested this year, as the Federal Communications Commission writes rules for a first-of-its-kind auction of frequencies that are currently licensed by TV broadcasters.