Federal judge rules in favor of the T-Mobile and Sprint merger
A federal judge has just ruled in favor of the $26 billion T-Mobile and Sprint merger.
The Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission last year gave the green light to this merger of the third and fourth largest wireless carriers in the U.S., but it faced a lawsuit from state attorneys general. New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) last year called the merger "exactly the sort of consumer-harming, job-killing mega merger our antitrust laws were designed to prevent."
On Tuesday, though, U.S. District Court Judge Victor Marrero ruled in favor of T-Mobile and Sprint, in his decision saying the merger isn't likely to "substantially lessen competition," The Washington Post reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As part of the deal, T-Mobile and Sprint agreed to sell off certain assets to Dish so that it could become a fourth major wireless carrier, The New York Times notes. T-Mobile also needs to provide Dish with access to its network for seven years. Marrero on Tuesday said that "Dish as a new entrant will constitute a substantial incentive to competition," per The Verge.
CNBC notes that now, the California Public Utilities Commission will still need to approve the merger. But the decision looks set to, as The Wall Street Journal writes, "usher in a new balance of power in the U.S. wireless market."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?
Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraud
Speed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strike
Speed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US economy still strong in final preelection report
Speed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strike
Speed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published