We knew that Sprint wasn’t happy about AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile USA, based on comments by Sprint CEO Dan Hesse about the deal. But the company today made it official, announcing that it will formally oppose the $39 billion combination.

An excerpt from the company’s statement.

The transaction, which requires the approval of the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission, and will likely spark a host of hearings in the U.S. Congress, would reverse nearly three decades of actions by the U.S. government and the courts that modernized and opened U.S. communications markets to competition. The wireless industry has sparked unprecedented levels of competition, innovation, job creation and investment for the American economy, all of which could be undone by this transaction.

AT&T and Verizon are already by far the largest wireless providers. If approved, the proposed acquisition would create a combined company that would be almost three times the size of Sprint in terms of wireless revenue and would entrench AT&T’s and Verizon’s duopoly control over the wireless market. The wireless industry moving forward would be dominated overwhelmingly by two vertically integrated companies with unprecedented control over the U.S. wireless post-paid market, as well as the availability and price of key inputs, such as backhaul and access needed by other wireless companies to compete.

AT&T has of course defended the deal, saying it will improve network service and benefit consumers.

“This transaction delivers significant customer, shareowner and public benefits that are available at this level only from the combination of these two companies with complementary network technologies, spectrum positions and operations,” said Randall Stephenson, the company’s CEO, in the acquisition announcement.

 

 

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