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Highlights
- Nov 2023 lawsuit alleges T-Mobile's merger with Sprint led to higher prices for AT&T and Verizon customers.
- A judge recently allowed T-Mobile to appeal a decision allowing the lawsuit to proceed, potentially blocking it before it goes to trial.
- Plaintiffs claim the $26 billion merger directly caused price increases and are seeking penalties and a reversal of the merger.
In a significant legal development, T-Mobile has recently been granted the opportunity to appeal a lawsuit brought by AT&T and Verizon customers.
These customers had accused T-Mobile's merger with Sprint in 2020 of triggering price hikes among the competing carriers.
District Judge Thomas Durkin previously allowed the lawsuit to proceed in November 2023. The court ruling sided with AT&T and Verizon subscribers, who argued that the $26 billion merger was to blame for their rising costs.
This lawsuit represents a broad group of AT&T and Verizon subscribers from Illinois and Indiana. They aim to impose penalties on T-Mobile, including the drastic measure of reversing the 2020 merger.
Most recently, Judge Durkin ruled that T-Mobile could appeal immediately rather than wait for the lawsuit to advance further.
Read more: T-Mobile appeals anti-trust lawsuit
T-Mobile contends that the plaintiffs lack the legal grounds to claim billions in damages, let alone reverse the merger.
T-Mobile emphasizes that AT&T and Verizon independently determine their pricing, absolving the merger of responsibility for any price increases.
In a strategic move, T-Mobile's attorneys previously suggested that disgruntled AT&T and Verizon customers should consider switching to T-Mobile to avoid higher prices rather than pursuing legal action.
My take: Why switch to a plan directly from T-Mobile when a low-cost carrier will make do?
This case underscores the complexities of antitrust law and its implications for consumers and corporations alike.
T-Mobile's ability to appeal this early in the lawsuit marks a pivotal moment.
It sets an important precedent for sue-happy people looking for someone to blame: stop wasting the court's time and resources.
Focus on alternatives that already exist!
Read more: Best cell phone plans
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