FCC Commissioners voted 3-2 along party lines to approve the T-Mobile-Sprint merger.
In August, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai circulated a draft order with his fellow commissioners urging approval of the T-Mobile + Sprint deal subject to conditions imposed by the Department of Justice.
Voting in opposition to the merger, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel stated: “We’ve all seen what happens when markets become more concentrated after a merger like this one. In the airline industry, it brought us baggage fees and smaller seats. In the pharmaceutical industry, it led to a handful of drug companies raising the prices of lifesaving medications. There’s no reason to think this time will be different. Overwhelming evidence demonstrates that the T-Mobile-Sprint merger will reduce competition, raise prices, lower quality, and slow innovation.”
A coalition of 16 state attorneys general, including California and New York, have filed a lawsuit to block the proposed merger of telecommunications companies T-Mobile and Sprint. The states argue that the merger would lead to higher prices and fewer choices for consumers, particularly low-income subscribers of the companies’ services.
