Washington, D.C.— Today, the Attorneys General of seven U.S. states joined a Department of Justice (DOJ) antitrust suit aimed at preventing the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile.

AT&T previously sought government approval to acquire T-Mobile, which, had it been approved, would have seen a single company control nearly half of the wireless market in the United States. Future of Music Coalition (FMC) joins a diverse array of artists, organizations and individuals in supporting the DOJ’s decision to block the merger, and applauds the Attorneys General of New York, Washington, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio and Pennsylvania in signing on to the DOJ suit.

The following can be attributed to Casey Rae-Hunter, Deputy Director of Future of Music Coalition:

“Creators and consumers alike would be negatively impacted by this combination AT&T and T-Mobile. Without competition in this crucial marketplace, we would likely experience limits on expression and innovation, which ultimately affects how artists earn a living. It is encouraging to see states representing one-third of the population of the America stand up for access and innovation in the mobile space.” 

“Greater concentration in the wireless sector, would leave just a few providers free to act as gatekeepers on an important platform for creativity and commerce. The elimination of a lower-cost provider  —T-Mobile — would also negatively impact millions of Americans who may not be able to afford service from AT&T, a company notorious for high prices and exclusive handset arrangements. In more ways than one, the movement to prevent the merger is good news for musicians and creative entrepreneurs across America.”