FCC Commissioner Michael Copps confirmed to C-SPAN during an interview that he isn’t happy about the proposed acquisition of T-Mobile by AT&T. Copps is concerned about the “amount of power and influence the merged company would hold, given that two companies would virtually control the wireless landscape.”

In Copps own opinion, the deal will prove more difficult to approve than the Comcast-NBC Universal which he voted against but was ultimately approved. Copps called the deal an “…even steeper climb” than the Comcast – NBC merger.  Copps stated that if AT&T could get a majority of the FCC on board, the conditions for approval would include “market-by-market” divestiture and a requirement to “preserve the openness of the Internet.”

The suggestion that AT&T would have to make concessions in order to see this through is hardly new and seems more and more likely.

Intomobile via Retuers