Deal of the Week: The Dangers of Corporation Consolidation

A T-Mobile merger with Sprint will test the Trump administration's antitrust position
A shopper looks over a display of Apple Inc. iPhones at a T-Mobile US Inc. store in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on Friday, Oct. 21, 2016. T-Mobile US Inc. is scheduled to release earnings figures on October 24.Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
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Nine months of Donald Trump’s presidency hasn’t revealed much on his administration’s antitrust attitudes. While AT&T’s deal for Time Warner appears on pace to close this year, a Sprint and T-Mobile tie-up would serve as a true barometer for how Trump’s antitrust decision makers view competition. The administration’s take on that deal, if it’s announced later this month, could pave the way for future megadeals or chill other attempts. John Oliver railed against corporate consolidation on a recent episode of HBO’s Last Week Tonight. Kevin Carty, a reporter-researcher with The Open Markets Institute, echoes Oliver’s concerns to host Alex Sherman and specifically explains why Sprint and T-Mobile shouldn’t be allowed to merge.