The FCC has now collected enough information to continue its review of the proposed $39 billion T-Mobile buyout by AT&T. The commission had to address many concerns and will now reset its 180-day clock to complete deal reviews. Specifically, the FCC sought more information on the new economic modeling AT&T provided in July to strengthen its argument that the deal is in the public interest.
AT&T may have dealt itself its own blow by accidentally revealing that it only needs $3.8 billion to get its LTE network out to 95 to 97 percent coverage. The provider has insisted it still actually needs to spend $39 billion for the T-Mobile acquisition and has claimed additional benefits from the deal.
Competing wireless providers argue AT&T’s buyout will create an anti-competitive industry, as the merger will create far and away the largest carrier in the industry. Already, AT&T is the second largest provider, with T-Mobile the fourth. It would leave AT&T as the only significant GSM provider in the country and would limit what phones could enter the country.
AT&T senior vice president Bob Quinn publicly said that the company is “confident that the commission will move expeditiously to complete its review.”