AT&T’s lobby force seeks redemption

AT&T’s expansive lobbying operation is seeking redemption as it tries to win approval of a $49 billion merger with DirecTV. The company tried and failed to purchase competitor T-Mobile in 2011, when federal regulators dashed the company’s hopes of further expanding into the booming cellphone market.

The stakes are also high this time around, with AT&T seeking to strengthen its foothold in the television business by buying one of the top satellite providers in the country. Critics are already expressing concerns that the new AT&T would have too much power, and lawmakers on Capitol Hill have promised to give the proposal close scrutiny. Adding to the challenge for AT&T representatives, the merger is being proposed at a time of rapid consolidation in the telecommunications industry, with Comcast also fighting for approval to acquire Time Warner Cable.