US states end opposition to T-Mobile, Sprint merger

WASHINGTON: California and other states which had fought a merger of Sprint Corp and T-Mobile US Inc over concerns about higher prices for consumers and less innovation have agreed to end their opposition to the deal in a settlement with the companies. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, whose state worked with New York and others, said the states would not appeal a loss in a federal court in New York in February. “Today’s settlement locks in new jobs and protections for vulnerable consumers, and it extends access to telecom services for our most underserved and rural communities,” Becerra said in a statement on Wednesday. Separately on Wednesday, an administrative judge with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a decision approving the proposed merger on condition the companies meet milestones. The CPUC is scheduled to make a final decision on April 16. — Reuters