Today, Public Knowledge and Communications Workers of America notified the Federal Communications Commission of the withdrawal of objections to the Verizon/TracFone merger in exchange for commitments from Verizon that protect TracFone’s most vulnerable subscribers. Access Humboldt, the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, and the California Center for Rural Policy also joined the letter withdrawing objections. 

Today, the Senate passed the “Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act.”

Today, the Federal Communications Commission released its Order formally approving the proposed T-Mobile/Sprint merger.

This week, Public Knowledge filed comments with the Department of Justice regarding its proposed conditions on the Sprint / T-Mobile merger.

After more than a year of review, the Department of Justice announced today that it has approved the proposed T-Mobile/Sprint merger, the divestiture of prepaid brands and customers, as well as several side agreements designed to accelerate Dish Network’s entry into the wireless market.

Today, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Senate Antitrust Subcommittee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), introduced the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act. The Act would increase merger filing fees for large mergers reviewed by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission, and use the additional funding to increase budgets for the two enforcers.

This morning, Reuters reported that the career attorneys at the Department of Justice Antitrust Division have recommended the agency file a lawsuit to block the proposed T-Mobile/Sprint merger. This reporting follows Monday’s announcement by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai that he would recommend the FCC approve the deal. State Attorneys General and the California Public Utilities Commission also continue to review the transaction. Public Knowledge opposes the transaction as a member of the 4Competition Coalition, filed a Petition to Deny with the FCC, and testified against the deal on Capitol Hill.

Today, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the district court’s earlier opinion, which permitted the AT&T/Time Warner merger to proceed, to stay in place. Public Knowledge supported the Justice Department’s challenge of the merger.

Today, the Federal Trade Commission announced a consent decree in the Staples-Essendant merger. Commissioners Slaughter and Chopra dissented, arguing the consent decree would be insufficient to address their competitive concerns with the merger.

Yesterday, Public Knowledge, along with American Antitrust Institute and Consumers Union, filed an amicus brief in the government’s appeal of the AT&T/Time Warner decision.