AT&T is scheduled to spar in federal court next year with the U.S. Department of Justice over its $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA.
U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle set a trial date for Feb. 13 and estimated the trial would take four to six weeks, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post has reported that the judge rejected Sprint’s request for access to Justice Department documents and expressed skepticism about Sprint’s request to join the DOJ lawsuit. Experts told the Post that chances of a faster trial and potential to reach a settlement are greater without Sprint in the trial. Courts sometimes consolidate cases that involve common questions of law or fact.
Sprint, Cellular South and seven attorneys general also have sued AT&T over the merger in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
In related news, the top executive of Verizon Communications – which has said little about the AT&T/T-Mobile merger over the last several months – reportedly defended the deal during an investor conference.
Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said “that match had to occur" and cautioned the government that if it chooses to block such mergers it must develop a clear plan for making spectrum available for the industry to meet growing demand, the Journal reported in a separate article.
