AT&T Moves to Block Sprint's Xohm, Clearwire Merger

[Mobile Mike]

AT&T Opposes Sprint, Clearwire Merger; Wants More Review

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- AT&T Inc. (T), which has the largest wireless subscriber base in the country, is asking the Federal Communications Commission to deny a merger request from Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) and Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) .

Sprint and Clearwire announced their intention to merge last month, saying the venture would facilitate a national wireless Internet network that would operate on a block of airwaves partly reserved for schools, cities and other nonprofits.

Sprint Spokesman Scott Sloat said almost 50 public entities that have access to those airwaves filed comments favoring the merger.

"They are supportive of the transaction because it would bring wireless mobile broadband to that spectrum faster, and they'll be able to utilize it," Sloat said.

Under Sprint and Clearwire's plan, the nonprofit and municipal entities that hold licenses in the same channel range will lease those airwaves to Sprint and Clearwire. With that and the Sprint and Clearwire holdings, the merged company will roll out its wireless Internet service.

In a filing submitted to the FCC Thursday, AT&T said Sprint and Clearwire " openly state that they intend to compete with other national wireless providers - including AT&T - yet they fail to make the required showings necessary for the commission's review."

In listing their holdings, AT&T said Sprint and Clearwire have discounted some of the airwaves they intend to use for the Internet service because it isn't operational yet.

If those airwaves were to be taken into account, the proposed merger would be subjected to heightened scrutiny, AT&T said.

AT&T argued that when it acquired Dobson Communications last year, the FCC examined airwaves that AT&T hasn't yet accessed. AT&T purchased a block of spectrum in a recent auction that won't be available until February.

"While AT&T does not fundamentally oppose the underlying transactions, the regulatory process must be consistent for all entrants," AT&T's filing said. " The applicants themselves have positioned their company as the single largest holder of broadband mobile spectrum in the country."

Sloat said Sprint and Clearwire have documented to the FCC on a county-by- county basis how much spectrum they would hold.

Sloat didn't deny that Sprint and Clearwire will be in direct competition with AT&T for wireless Internet customers. "This will bring competition to the broadband industry, giving everyone another option," he said.

Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ), another giant in the wireless market, didn't file a comment on the proposed merger between Sprint and Clearwire.

-By Fawn Johnson, Dow Jones Newswires

[larry]

LOL! This is the funniest thing I've read in a while. Sprint didn't object to the countless mergers and acquistions that AT&T made which were much larger in scale than this little deal.

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by larry

LOL! This is the funniest thing I've read in a while. Sprint didn't object to the countless mergers and acquistions that AT&T made which were much larger in scale than this little deal.

I figured you'd get a good chuckle out of this one, Larry...

[larry]

AT&T should be more concerned about Verizon's Alltel deal than they should be about Sprint and Clearwire.

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by larry

AT&T should be more concerned about Verizon's Alltel deal than they should be about Sprint and Clearwire.

You would think so. This seems to me to be nothing more than grandstanding, under the guise of "concern".

[budney]

Instead of AT&T being "concerned" about other companies & mergers. Why don't they start getting down to business with integrating the networks they have purchased (Dobson & others) & getting 3G truely nationwide.

[bobolito]

It's all about squashing the little guy while the elephants get larger and try to monopolize the industry. Not even Verizon is so evil.

[walkguru]

Originally Posted by budney

Instead of AT&T being "concerned" about other companies & mergers. Why don't they start getting down to business with integrating the networks they have purchased (Dobson & others) & getting 3G truely nationwide.

very true, they need to get with it.

[Eric47]

they make good points honestly.

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by budney

Instead of AT&T being "concerned" about other companies & mergers. Why don't they start getting down to business with integrating the networks they have purchased (Dobson & others) & getting 3G truely nationwide.

Originally Posted by bobolito

It's all about squashing the little guy while the elephants get larger and try to monopolize the industry. Not even Verizon is so evil.

Originally Posted by Eric47

they make good points honestly.

You're right, Eric, bobo and budney make excellent points!

I hope Sprint and Verizon remember this the next time AT&T swallows another company and they BOTH b' and moan to the FCC like AT&T's doing now about Sprint.

[bobolito]

Originally Posted by Mobile Mike

You're right, Eric, bobo and budney make excellent points!

I hope Sprint and Verizon remember this the next time AT&T swallows another company and they BOTH b' and moan to the FCC like AT&T's doing now about Sprint.

LOL! That's a good one.

[Simon5282]

Amazing how they preach how Government regulation hurts the industry and then demand that the Government regulates the industry in their favor.

Truth be known, while there is nothing wrong with big business in a truly free market, (not like this over-regulated joke of a system that we have in the US) behemoths like ATT and Verizon love regulation. It squashes out the other business. They get to control the FCC and and other government agencies, therefore secretly making the regulations. This leaves us with a duopoly, two domineering industries with a hand shaken agreement not to step on the others turf and set to their prices "competitively", leaving us with no option. This leads to controlling the population on an economic level!

Quote of the day. "Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." - Mussolini

[RadioRaiders]

Why doesn't AT&T mind their own business and let the FCC deal with it, since that's their job anyway, right? Too many rabid lawyers with nothing to do at AT&T I guess

If I was AT&T I wouldn't waste time sending lawywers on Sprint anyway...just sit back and watch them implode on their own would be more fun and easier

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by RadioRaiders

Why doesn't AT&T mind their own business and let the FCC deal with it, since that's their job anyway, right? Too many rabid lawyers with nothing to do at AT&T I guess

Because minding their own business is not part of their new model to take over the world. They ain't called the Death Star for nothing!!!

Of course, Big Red might have a little issue with this "taking over the world" mindset of Big Blue...

[Simon5282]

Originally Posted by Mobile Mike

Because minding their own business is not part of their new model to take over the world. They ain't called the Death Star for nothing!!!

Of course, Big Red might have a little issue with this "taking over the world" mindset of Big Blue...

I Concur! But Big Red is in on it. They just can't spill their secret, or else there will be a revolt!.

[SmArTeStChIlD421]

to set this straight I think this whole article sounds like one thing::::

DESPERATION.


frankly though i think AT&T should it