mn attorney general letter
TRANSCRIPT
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8/3/2019 MN Attorney General Letter
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October14,2011
AttorneyGeneralLoriSwanson
1400BremerTower
445MinnesotaStreet
St.Paul,MN55101
RE:ProposedAcquisitionofT-MobileUSA,Inc.byAT&TInc.
DearAttorneyGeneralSwanson:
TheundersignedorganizationsstronglysupportthedecisionoftheDepartmentof
Justiceandthebi-partisangroupofeight(8)attorneysgeneral1tofilesuittoblock
theproposedacquisitionofT-MobileUSA,Inc.byAT&TInc.(the"Proposed
Transaction").Weurgeyoutoconclude--astheattorneysgeneralfromseven
statesandPuertoRicohave--thattheProposedTransactionisharmfulto
competition,consumersandthepublicinterestandiscontrarytoantitrustlaws.
WeurgeyoutosupportandparticipateinthelawsuittoblocktheProposed
Transaction.
WeappreciatethecommentsyoumadeshortlyaftertheProposedTransactionwas
announcedwhereyouacknowledgedthedetrimentofexcessiveconcentration.We
furtherappreciatetheeffortsyourofficehasundertakentoexaminetheimpactsof
thetransactionbyreviewingdocumentsandcoordinatingwithotherstate
attorneysgeneral.
Thepurposeoftheantitrustlawsistopreventmergersthatreducecompetition,
andAT&T'sproposedpurchaseofitscompetitorT-Mobilemustbeevaluated
againstthespiritofthoselaws.ThisProposedTransactionharmscompetitionand
thecommunitymembersthattheundersignedgroupsrepresent.Wealldependonourwirelessdevicesdailytoconductbusiness,connectwithourfamiliesandhelp
usinemergencysituations.Thepotentialnegativeimpactonwirelessmarketsin
1In addition to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Attorneys General of California, Illinois,
Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico and Washington are plaintiffs in
Civil No.11-01560 (ESH) in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
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8/3/2019 MN Attorney General Letter
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Attorney General Lori Swanson
October 14, 2011Page 2
Minnesotaandnationally,beingdominatedbytwoverticallyintegratedsuppliers
(post-mergerAT&TandVerizon)withnearly80%ofwirelesscustomersand
revenues,istoogreat.Amongothernegativeresults,amergerofthismagnitude
wouldleadtohigherwirelessprices,harminnovationandcausejoblosseswhichno
Minnesotacanafford.
YoursupportandparticipationtoblocktheProposedTransactionisneeded.
Minnesotashouldsendastrongsignalthatcompetitionandinnovationisthebest
waytogrowoureconomyandthenationsantitrustlawsmustbeenforced.
Thanksforyourconsiderationandattentiontoourrequestthatyoujointheother
attorneysgeneralseffortstostoptheProposedTransaction.
Sincerely,
amaliadeloney,CenterforMediaJustice
NielRitchie,LeagueofRuralVoters
JanisLane-Ewart,KFAI,FreshAir,Inc.
LauraWatermanWittstock,FirstPersonRadio
AndyDriscoll,TruthToTell
DanielleMkali,MainStreetProject
ElaineSalinas,MIGIZICommunications,Inc.
DukeGomez-Schempp,People'sPressProjectChristopherMitchell,InstituteforLocalSelfReliance
ChakaMkali,HOPECommunityDevelopmentCorporation
ErickBoustead,LineBreakMedia