U.S. Sues to Block AT&T's Takeover of T-Mobile

The U.S. government has sued to block AT&T’s proposed takeover of T-Mobile, arguing that the deal would “substantially lessen competition” in the wireless market.

The Justice Department filed a complaint today in federal court in Washington, Reuters reports. In the filing, the government argued, “AT&T’s elimination of T-Mobile as an independent, low-priced rival would remove a significant competitive force from the market.”

The government has asked for a declaration that AT&T’s $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile would violate U.S. antitrust law, as well as a court order blocking any arrangement implementing the deal.