The Likely AT&T Wireless Playbook for Securing Authority to Acquire T-Mobile

[Commentary] There are several tried and true tactics that AT&T Wireless can use to convince the Federal Communications Commissions and Department of Justice to approve the company’s merger with T-Mobile notwithstanding the obvious harmful and anticompetitive consequences. Regardless of which party controls the White House these tactics work as evidenced by the rare instance where a market concentrating telecommunications mega-merger is not approved. AT&T will reframe the merger away from market concentration and into the realm of better serving the consumer and responding to delays in FCC regulatory reform.

1) This merger will benefit consumers! 2) The FCC made us do it! 3) Prominent scholars and consultants endorse the merger! 4) Our merger will achieve the same type benefits as other mega-mergers.

Prediction: A year or so from now AT&T probably will get conditional merger authority. The future dominant means for accessing the Internet will become an unregulated conduit controlled by companies free to leverage employment and infrastructure buildouts for a free reign.