AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson is apparently still having trouble sleeping over the failed AT&T, T-Mobile deal. Speaking at an annual conference, AT&T’s CEO took the opportunity and the public platform to whine discuss about the failed deal. Stephenson attacked competition in general and pretty much guaranteed he would raise prices as a result.

AT&T continues to complain about a lack of bandwidth in the United States without having added T-Mobile’s own spectrum holdings. “The more competitors you have, the less efficient the allocation of spectrum will be,” he said. “It’s got to change. I don’t think the market’s going to accommodate the number of competitors there are in the landscape.” Stephenson went on to further claim that since the blocked AT&T deal, data prices have gone up almost 30% and then took it another step by labeling the failed deal as responsible for throttling data customers due to necessary bandwidth caps.

We get it, AT&T wants to make money and like all companies, it’s what will keep them in business. However, I don’t know that publicly whining about competition, spectrum, and failed deals is the right way to make your case for a better wireless market.

Wall Street Journal