AT&T 'Pretty Confident' It Can Save T-Mobile Deal

Phone giant tries to duck antitrust concerns
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 2, 2011 2:45 PM CDT
AT&T 'Pretty Confident' It Can Save T-Mobile Deal
The CEOs of AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint prepare to testify before the Senate Antitrust, Competitive Policy and Consumer Rights subcommittee hearing on the AT&T T-Mobile merger, May 11, 2011.   (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)

AT&T is dead set on getting its $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile past anti-trust regulators, and it’s developing a two-part plan to do so. While one of the telecom giant’s hands is preparing to battle the Justice Department in court, the other will be trying to strike a deal with it, sources tell Reuters. “AT&T is pretty determined they can find a solution,” one source said. “They are pretty confident.”

The company is prepared to make a variety of concessions, including vowing to keep T-Mobile’s prices low, and selling off as much as 25% of T-Mobile’s assets, including airwaves, customers, and more. But one former antitrust enforcer says it’ll be a tough sell, because the only buyers for the national assets would be Verizon and Sprint, and selling to them won’t exactly reassure regulators. (More AT&T stories.)

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