Sen. Kohl Calls To Block AT&T Merger

[cal04]

Source: National Journal

Sen. Herb Kohl, who chairs the Senate's Antitrust subcommitteee, called on Wednesday for regulators to block the proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile, saying it would be "highly dangerous to competition and consumers."

Kohl wrote to the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission to say the merger would concentrate the market too much.

Read more: http://www.nationaljournal.com/tech/kohl-calls-to-block-at-t-merger-20110720

[Uncle Joe]

1. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, cal.

[Sherman A1]

2. K&R

:bounce:

[Stuart G]

3. k and r

[Dappleganger]

4. K&R for squashing monopolies which hurt consumers and competition.

[Sportsguy]

5. K & R For Senator Kohl

He is a good man.

[cal04]

6. Senator opposes AT&T/T-Mobile merger

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/172543-dem-lawmaker-opposes-atatt-mobile-merger

(snip)
"I have concluded that this acquisition, if permitted to proceed, would cause substantial harm to competition and consumers, would be contrary to antitrust law and not in the public interest, and therefore should be blocked by your agencies," Kohl wrote in the letter.

Kohl addressed the letter to Julius Genachowski, chairman of the FCC, and Attorney General Eric Holder. Both agencies are in the process of reviewing the deal.

Kohl cited data that shows T-Mobile offers cheaper cell phone plans that the other big wireless carriers and said consumers would suffer if the company became part of AT&T.

"Removal of such a maverick price competitor from such a highly concentrated market … raises the substantial likelihood that prices will rise following this merger," Kohl wrote. "Such a result is unacceptable under antitrust law and as a matter of communications policy."

[Gin]

7. I agree...don't let it happen.

[DesertDiamond]

8. Thank you, Senator Kohl!! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!

[avaistheone1]

9. Absolute!y!

k&r

:kick:

[aquart]

10. Yes!

[MilesColtrane]

11. Unlikely

The people who decide whether the merger goes through are the same ones who approved the NBC/Comcast merger in January.

In fact, I can't remember a single merger deal that was blocked by a government agency in the past ten years.

Surely, there has to be at least one. Right?

[barbtries]

12. i'd prefer if it didn't happen.

bad enough i'm stuck with AT&T for my home internet. i have t-mobile.

[McCamy Taylor]

13. Here comes the warrantless wiretap blackmail...

[MrNJ]

14. Thank you Captain Obvious

Who would've thought that going from 2 GSM carriers to 1 would limit competition and concentrate the market.

[sulphurdunn]

15. No merger, no debt ceiling deal!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[jwirr]

16. NO more mergers for anyone. Our problem is big corporations. Surely

the solution is not to let them get bigger?

[rurallib]

17. so rare to see sanity these days

[BiggJawn]

18. It must go through.

"Orange Julius" Genachowski is counting on working for AT&T&T-Mobile after he's done with the FCC.

[elleng]

19. Good to see SOMEONE making these arguments.

[Agony]

20. About frigging time! Break up ExxonMobil while you are at it! Please?

Where are the Democrats with intelligence, reason, decency and empathy? and that aren't corrupt...