PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has joined with a bipartisan group of State Attorneys General to urge federal regulators to allow AT&T to acquire T-Mobile USA. The pending transaction is anticipated to bring high-speed wireless Internet coverage availability to more South Dakotans, improve service for consumers, and spur job creation and economic development. The proposed merger is further anticipated to offer access to a range of new 21st Century broadband services and applications that will benefit the lives of residents throughout the State.
“Approval of the merger presents an opportunity to bring real benefits to South Dakota by creating better phone service and faster data downloads for businesses and consumers,” said Jackley.
In the letter to DOJ and FCC, the Attorneys General urged approval of the merger “with appropriate and carefully-crafted merger-specific remedies and conditions…[that] may be needed to protect competition and the public interest without unduly delaying the merger or undermining the synergies, economies or benefits of the merger.”
A bipartisan group of 11 AGs signed the request including AGs Luther Strange (R-AL), Dustin McDaniel (D-AR), Sam Olens (R-GA), Jack Conway (D-KY), Bill Schuette (R-MI), Jim Hood (D-MS), Wayne Stenehjem (R-ND), Marty Jackley (R-SD), Mark Shurtleff (R-UT), Darrell McGraw (D-WV) and Greg Phillips (D-WY). In June, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard voiced his support for the merger.
The 11 AGs’ letter cited significant spectrum capacity constraints in the wireless industry and highlighted the fact that AT&T’s commitment to an additional $8 billion in private sector investment in rural America in these challenging times will promote job creation and economic growth, improve consumers’ quality of service and provide expanded access to 55 million more consumers.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : Thursday, July 28, 2011
CONTACT: Sara Rabern, (605) 773-3215
