TTA Archives 2005-2012

As we in the US enjoyed Thanksgiving food, celebrations and (for some of us) mad rounds of real and cyber-shopping, AT&T and T-Mobile’s merger wheels have come off. Culprit #1: the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In fact, AT&T may have to fight to withdraw its application [WSJ 25 Nov] without FCC prejudice, the opposite of which will negatively influence a refiling and a second try. Culprit #2: the Department of Justice, which has allowed AT&T to twist slowly in the wind on anti-trust issues. Meanwhile, Deutsche Telekom, the owner of T-Mobile, wants out…period…of the US, having never made a go of it. More to come on this, but T-Mobile’s valuable spectrum may be going to a suitor other than AT&T. [WSJ 25 Nov #2] Implications? AT&T will actually lose spectrum to T-Mobile, so they will be actively looking for a partner with lots of it. Lacking it, AT&T’s moves into telehealth, both due to the spectrum issue and also in corporate focus, may slow. All of which gives Verizon and even Sprint Nextel to get their healthcare acts together. [TA 22 Nov] Your thoughts?