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  • 8/3/2019 MN Attorney General Letter

    1/2

    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.

  • 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