Meet The Old Ma, Same As The Old Ma

In spring, a young man's heart turns to love. But I've seen young men, and Ma Bell ain't no young man. And this has nothing to do with love.

One day before spring was sprung, AT&T on Sunday announced it's shelling out $39 billion for its acquisition of T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom. No doubt it's a pleasant surprise and major win for AT&T and its investors, if approved.

But this deal stinks to high heaven for wireless subscribers of any network.

The combined AT&T and T-Mobile will be the biggest carrier in the US, and with only one major competitor left. This is something the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should smack down ASAP. AT&T and T-Mobile America are the No. 2 and No. 4 players respectively. This deal will make AT&T No. 1.

But before the DOJ and FCC investigate, let’s talk about the bleak realities wireless subscribers will face as a result of this dangerous deal.

It's a situation that leaves Verizon as the only other major player. If the government regulators allow this, Verizon will probably buy up Sprint. Where does the madness stop?

What will life be like for a wireless subscriber on any network when AT&T is the No. 1 U.S. wireless network?

IMO, it’ll suck. And that's putting it politely. I predict five awful outcomes.