AT&T’s plan to take over T-Mobile is about gouging consumers, destroying a competitor and firing an estimated 20,000 American workers.
We at Free Press have warned about this from day one. Now, in a letter that was inadvertently leaked, one of AT&T's own lawyers has confirmed it. The letter reveals the merger has nothing to do with expanding AT&T’s coverage to 97 percent of the country – the main argument the company has made to gain Washington’s support – and everything to do with eliminating the cheaper T-Mobile option from the marketplace (and laying off half of its workforce) to pad company profits.
Every AT&T argument about the supposed benefits of this merger has now been proven wrong. As AT&T’s case unravels, President Barack Obama must speak out against this dangerous deal.
Sign this letter to the president and let him know that we can’t afford to lose tens of thousands of American jobs just to keep AT&T happy.
Dear President Obama:
AT&T’s plan to merge with T-Mobile hurts American consumers, threatens American jobs and harms our economy. We urge you to speak out against this job-killing deal.
If approved, the merger would allow AT&T to gouge customers, destroy a competitor and lay off an estimated 20,000 American workers. And it would leave two giant companies in control of 80 percent of the wireless market — representing unprecedented concentration that dwarfs even the old Ma Bell monopoly.
AT&T's case for this merger is unraveling. Its own documents, which were inadvertently made public last week, show that it would be far cheaper —$35 billion cheaper — for the company to build out its network to 97 percent of the country than it would be to purchase T-Mobile. Though AT&T has claimed otherwise, it's now clear this deal has nothing to do with expanding mobile Internet coverage and everything to do with padding company profits at the expense of good-paying jobs.
Every AT&T claim about the public benefits of its takeover of T-Mobile has now been proven wrong. If you want to create jobs and spur innovation, this merger must be stopped. Please speak out against this dangerous deal.
