AT&T Responds To DoJ Lawsuit

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Posted by Soulskill on Friday September 9, 2011 @09:50AM from the but-we-can-leverage-our-synergies,-honest dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Last week the Department of Justice filed an antitrust complaint to stop the merger between AT&T and T-Mobile USA. Now, AT&T has responded, arguing that the merger would benefit consumers by increasing competition and freeing up spectrum. 'That means increased output, higher quality service, fewer dropped calls,and lower prices to consumers than without the merger,' they say. Meanwhile, House Republicans have sent a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and Attorney General Eric Holder asking for an explanation of 'what went into the decision to challenge the merger and whether the agencies considered the impact on jobs and economic growth.' A hearing is scheduled for Sept. 21."

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Text of AT&T response by elrous0 · 2011-09-09 09:50 · Score: 5, Funny

Where's the love, DoJ? Remember back when we were tight, when we were illegally spying on all those Americans? Those were good days, baby. We didn't need no warrants or paperwork back then, did we? Why you got to be like this now? Can't we just keep everything hush-hush, like we used to? Come on, you know you want to say yes--just like we said yes when you wanted to install all that spy gear on our trunk lines. You liked daddy's trunk, didn't you girl?
Show some love for AT&T, baby. Don't let it end this way. Let us tap that ass again, like we tapped everyone's phone for you. Let's get away from these courtrooms and just switch places, girl, with *you* bending over and *us* doing the tapping this time. Don't be a hater, DoJ. Let daddy take you all the way *up there*--above the law, just one more time.

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AT&T seems evil by Ken+Broadfoot · 2011-09-09 09:55 · Score: 3, Insightful

I use AT&T... but the fact they have an exclusive with Apple, and they want T-Mobile.... doesn't remind ANYONE here of another company we tend to love to hate?
Speak about the "freedom" of the free market all you want, but I for one, applaud the governments actions here... Fsck AT&T...

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1. Re:AT&T seems evil by guspasho · 2011-09-09 10:05 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Competition > free markets
  Free markets are far from perfect; monopolies are only the most obvious flaw. Additionally, it's arguable whether a market dominated by a private monopoly is actually free. Free from governmental force, sure, but that isn't the only kind of freedom that is implied by the term free market.
Nonsense by inode_buddha · 2011-09-09 09:56 · Score: 5, Interesting

How does buying up another telco player encourage competition?

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1. Re:Nonsense by Jeng · 2011-09-09 09:59 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  I think part of what they were saying is that they are so incompetent that they have to purchase a whole other company so they quit dropping calls.
  The competition they are talking about encouraging is their own ability to compete, not the market itself.
  They have their heads so far up their asses that they can't see anything else.
  
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2. Re:Nonsense by Anonymous Coward · 2011-09-09 10:00 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  How does it increase jobs? How does it increase economic growth? Here is a hint: all those cost reduction and merger synergies? They don't come from employing more people.
3. Re:Nonsense by interkin3tic · 2011-09-09 11:13 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  You appear to be looking for logic and reason in a corporate press statement. That's a bit like seeking health advice in a morgue.
Impact on jobs? by SeNtM · 2011-09-09 09:58 · Score: 5, Interesting

Why do republicans always side with large corporations? The impact the merger will have on jobs is that they will be reduced as AT&T consolidates redundant positions.

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"There ought to be limits to freedom." -George W. Bush
1. Re:Impact on jobs? by guspasho · 2011-09-09 10:08 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Why do republicans always side with large corporations?
  Fundraising.
2. Re:Impact on jobs? by SeNtM · 2011-09-09 10:18 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Oops, I forgot... The total of all US citizens is only worth three-fifths that of one Fortune-500 corporation.
  
  --
  "There ought to be limits to freedom." -George W. Bush
3. Re:Impact on jobs? by dunng808 · 2011-09-09 10:33 · Score: 3
  
  I see this as a challenge to the Obama administration rather than siding with anyone. We have all seen how Republicans have a knee-jerk negative response to anything Obama does.
  
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  Gary Dunn
  Open Slate Project
4. Re:Impact on jobs? by bmxeroh · 2011-09-09 10:44 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  This. I find myself to be a conservative moderate most days, with a few exceptions on some major issues. But the elected repubs are pissing me off. It is almost always about being completely polar opposite to anything Obama says or does now, that absolutely nothing gets done. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of Obama, and the next time there is a republican pres. I will be bitching about the dems for the same reasons, but this is entirely why nothing gets done in the U.S. We spend more time pissing in each others cheerios than actually trying to come up with something useful. I mean for fucks sake, I get tax raises are unpopular, but there is no reason the tax code should benefit the well off and corps as much as it does. I don't get it, I honestly think that you may gain some popular vote by taking a slightly harder stance here, being as the bulk of the people won't fall into the wealthy category. Ugh, sorry for the ridiculous political rant.
  
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5. Re:Impact on jobs? by msoftsucks · 2011-09-09 11:07 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  That's because the Repubs have been paid off by the big boys. They no longer represent you or me, they really represent corporate interests which have been bought out by all of that lobbyist money. They even managed to modify lobbying and financing laws to allow international companies to buy them off. To see how bad "your" representative has been bought off go here
  
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Bullshit. by Xacid · 2011-09-09 09:59 · Score: 4, Insightful

How in the hell does acquiring a company like this result in MORE competition?
And lower rates? Just like us Cingular customers got? Yeah, right.
How can they even make such claims - that's damned near perjury.
Re:WHY by Pieroxy · 2011-09-09 10:53 · Score: 5, Informative

This! One thousand and two times this!
No cable provider has a monopoly... across the US. But none has competition in its area. They're essentially mini-monopolies. Why do you think internet access sucks that much in the US? There is virtually no competition.
When I lived there (2000-2004) I lived through 4 different places. In the SF bay area. I had to change providers everytime, and everytime I had no choice.
In France, I can choose btw at least 8 providers in urban areas. Result? Free calls (>200 countries), free TV (100 channels), Unlimited internet (and trust me, it's uncapped and unthrottled) 20MB/2MB for 30€/month.

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