The US Senate has been advised to block AT&T from purchasing more spectrum at upcoming auctions. The advice came from Jeannine Kenney, an analyst at the Consumers Union. Because the new company (after it completes a merger with BellSouth) will have complete control of Cingular, the nation's largest wireless carrier, additional spectrum could be a blow to competition:
“The centrality of Cingular to this merger demands full congressional scrutiny of increasing signs that wireless consolidation is solidifying regional dominance, and leading toward, at best, a duopoly that will undermine robust competition and inflate prices,” said Ms. Kenney.