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AT&T CEO: Divestitures Likely in Wake of T-Mobile Deal

Article Comments  39  

Mar 30, 2011, 10:08 AM   by Eric M. Zeman

Speaking at a recent conference, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson indicated that the company will likely have to drop some markets in order to garner approval of its proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile. "We anticipate there will be some markets we will have to divest," he said, though he didn't name those markets. AT&T says that it needs to acquire T-Mobile in order to proceed with its 4G roll-out, and plans to use T-Mobile's 1700MHz spectrum (in addition to its own 700MHz holdings) for LTE. According to the Wall Street Journal, Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead has already indicated that his company would be interested in acquiring any divested markets/assets. AT&T's Stephenson also took the time to defend the acquisition. "This industry is anything but a duopoly," he said. "The industry is intensely competitive now, and will be intensely competitive after the deal." Sprint disagrees, and said it intends to fight the proposed acquisition. It has already asked the government to block it.

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Joshmo

Mar 30, 2011, 10:46 AM

If they divest markets.....

Verizon shouldn't be allowed to touch it. I think sprint should be allowed to grab some, as well as lightsquared.

I'm all for at&t buying out t-mobile as long as someone other than Verizon gets the left overs.

If the deal goes through we're looking at 3 major national players using the traditional networking system. Verizon, At&t, and Sprint. I'm hopng lightsquared gets up and running, because as a wholeseller, this is create many more nationwide carriers.
I am NOT all for T-Mobile being bought by AT&T.

It creates the nations ONLY GSM network through one carrier, meaning exclusive deals will ONLY be though said carrier. This will be beneficial ONLY to AT&T and OEM who will have an instant potential ...
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...
You guys are really having a forum about this? AT&T has been pretty clear about its merger with T and has stuck to what it said with prior mergers. I think you need to read more about the actual deals going on with the company. I work for AT&T in the ...
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I dont at all want the merger to go thru, but i agree that if it does, Verizon should not be able to scoop up more spectrum. They'd basically be starting their duopoly before the paperwork was even signed.
...
chapelhill

Mar 31, 2011, 9:48 PM

Here we go again...

Bellsouth Mobility to AT&T to Cingular to AT&T to...

Now some current AT&T customers will get sold in markets where the T-Mobile coverage is better (divest) and I can't help but wonder how many of them will be customers that have been passed around before, only to be reacquired and then perhaps passed off again.

I'm all for improvement and even mergers and acquisitions - but I've had enough of AT&T gobbling up and spitting out names and markets. I hope that the FTC doesn't forget how many times AT&T has changed its name in the process of growing and dumping customers only to grab others instead.

I love my iPhone, but I'm SICK of AT&T. I keep my reliable Sprint phone in my car and have to use it more than I should have to. I only hav...
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fearmywrx

Mar 30, 2011, 5:07 PM

Sprints Scared cause they suck and will be an outcast.

^^ enough said ^^
dumb troll is dumb...and not that i wanna humor you in the least, but if Sprint is an outcast you really think Verizon or At&t will have any incentive to lower their bills?? Negative troll
...I would say too much was said in that childish rant. Were you sticking out your tongue when you posted that nonsense?
lol, "enough said"

did you even tie your own shoes this morning?
Well, since I hardly ever drop calls on my Sprint phone (10 years and counting) and I drop calls ALL THE TIME on my iPhone, I would say that you are a complete moron that is devoid of the ability to maintain an adult conversation. Go back to your play...
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Azeron

Mar 30, 2011, 10:14 AM

"Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead...

...has already indicated that his company would be interested in acquiring any divested markets/assets."

Not a snowball's chance in hell.

Item number one: Any divestitures cannot be to Verizon Wireless. These guys have been doing this *Bleep* with the last few deals they have completed. No wonder Verizon is all for this going through.
It is comparable to vultures flying in circles in the sky waiting ever so patiently for the dying carcass to expire. 🤤
...
Maybe GE will get into the wireless business. That way Obama's fcc can just give the divested market to them. What a joke this will all be when verizon get 90% of the divested markets.
boggerscbshop

Mar 30, 2011, 8:23 PM

As far as I'm concerned, Verizon should get some spectrum

Look at the Verizon / Alltel merger. At&t got a lot of spectrum. So let's do the same here.
Let's not.
 
 
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