Judge Huvelle: AT&T “Flatly wrong on the law”

The Rural Telecommunications Group (RTG) supports the decision by the Department of Justice to file a motion next week to either stay or dismiss its lawsuit to block AT&T’s takeover of T-Mobile and sympathizes with Federal Judge Ellen Huvelle’s opinion that AT&T is “presumptuous” to think it can stick to an unrealistic timeline and salvage this anticompetitive deal. At a court hearing earlier today, Judge Huvelle stated that she was “shocked” by AT&T’s pleadings and dismissed AT&T’s argument that “nothing has changed” in the case despite its decision to pull its FCC applications.

“AT&T was being too clever by half when it pulled its FCC applications,” said Carri Bennet, RTG’s General Counsel. “Judge Huvelle saw through this tactic and rightfully spotlighted the utter waste of time and taxpayer dollars that AT&T is propagating by it trying to game the federal court case while stubbornly ignoring its failed FCC bid for approval. Everyone in the universe seems to know this deal is dead except for AT&T and yet it still is trying to tilt at windmills. It’s time AT&T rode off into the sunset.”

About RTG – Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Rural Telecommunications Group, Inc. (RTG) is a trade association representing rural wireless carriers who each serve less than 100,000 subscribers. RTG’s members have joined together to speed delivery of new, efficient and innovative telecommunications technologies to remote and underserved communities. ruraltelecomgroup.org @RTGwireless

# # #