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Sprint asks FCC to block AT&T and T-Mobile deal on anti-competitive grounds

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Sprint doesn’t want AT&T anywhere near T-Mobile and is seeking to block a $39-billion consolidation of the two telecom firms.

Back in March, AT&T said it was acquiring T-Mobile USA, a deal that if approved by regulators would allow AT&T to grab the mantle of the nation’s largest wireless carrier. Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. would fall far behind in second and third place, respectively.

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On Tuesday, Sprint formally asked the Federal Communications Commission to stop the deal from going through, saying that the purchase would create an anti-competitive market.

An AT&T and T-Mobile giant, according to Sprint, would result in higher prices for consumers and stalled innovation and investment. But the deal would “uniquely position the Twin Bell duopolists of AT&T and Verizon as the gatekeepers of the digital ecosystem.”

Instead of dumping $39 billion on T-Mobile, Sprint suggested that AT&T spend part of the money expanding its congested network instead of “simply seeking a government bailout for problems of its own making.”

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