Remember that AT&T and T-Mobile merger? It’s still on track

You may not have heard much about it for a while, but the massive merger that would combine T-Mobile and AT&T into America's largest carrier is still in the works for next year. Today AT&T expressed its confidence that the merger will be sealed by the first quarter of 2012, and while a degree of skepticism is only natural, its dealings with the FCC appear to be going well so far.

Assuming the merger does get FCC approval, the combined carrier entity comprised of America's #2 and #4 carriers will bump Verizon from its current top-dog position. AT&T is naturally emphasizing that the merger will actually benefit customers as "the surest and fastest way to address the unique network constraints and spectrum shortages" affecting the company, but the fact remains that a reduction from four major U.S. mobile carriers to three is a big shakeup that the regulatory body might not take in stride.

Sprint, understandably unhappy with its potential downgrade to America's last-place carrier, has appealed to Congress to block the deal, but ultimately the FCC will have the final word.

Since the advent of the iPhone, AT&T has been plagued by complaints of poor network service, a fact that was only highlighted when Verizon launched the iPhone on its own network earlier this year. T-Mobile customers unhappy to see their magenta mobile provider swallowed up will have to wait — further details of how the merger will affect current customers on either network have yet to be announced.

(Source)

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