Cingular–AT&T Wireless Merger

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Cornerstone Research was retained by counsel for BellSouth and SBC to support the parties during regulatory review by the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission.

Retained by Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider and by Arnold & Porter

This $41 billion merger created the largest wireless phone company in the United States. Cornerstone Research was retained by counsel for BellSouth and SBC, the parent companies of Cingular, to support the parties during regulatory review by the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission.

The merger and license transfers were approved, with some divestitures, by the regulatory agencies.

To assess the effects of the merger on prices, quality, and market concentration, Cornerstone Research analyzed large, account-level data sets provided by the parties to estimate the relationships among these variables at different levels of market aggregation. Our analysis demonstrated that the prices for wireless service were not affected by variations in local markets or by common ownership of wireless and landline services, suggesting that the merger would not lead to pockets of high-priced service. The merger and license transfers were approved, with some divestitures, by the regulatory agencies.


For more information on this case, please contact Michael Topper.