That’s not how AT&T’s chief executive, Randall Stephenson, sees it. He said the $39-billion deal with T-Mobile will create “significant customer, shareowner and public benefits” that will “better meet our customers’ current demands.”
The reality, however, is that the most competitive segment of the telecom market — wireless service — will now have one fewer player, and we are a big step closer to a marketplace controlled by only two companies, AT&T and Verizon…
When the Federal Communications Commission deregulated the telecom market in 1996, the intent was to compel local phone companies to open their networks to new players. That never quite happened. As the companies underwent consolidation, barriers to entry for new players grew steadily higher. Consumers saw fewer telecom companies providing a greater array of services.
And prices have continued to rise.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member