Songwriters Guild of America President: AT&T Acquisition of T-Mobile USA is Good for Consumers

In a recent Huffington Post editorial, Songwriters Guild of America President Rick Barnes argues that the proposed AT&T acquisition of T-Mobile will be beneficial to consumers. He argues that the value AT&T places on content-protection exceeds that of T-Mobile, which means a better marketplace for music and other content via a mobile connection.

Barnes says that the merger is in the best interests of members of his Guild and consumers alike:

"People who create and supply music to the public are just as interested in this merger as the consumers who buy Smart phones, wireless subscriptions, and ultimately music from these services. Fortunately, the interests of music suppliers and wireless consumers coincide — content protection is in everyone's interest. Because AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile promises greater content protection in the wireless environment, this merger is in the interest of both suppliers and consumers and should be allowed to proceed."

Low-income subscribers particularly stand to gain, according to the Songwriters Guild of America president. According to Barnes, lower-income people rely more heavily on mobile devices for their information and communication needs. As a result, the proposed merger "should benefit lower-income Americans in the same manner as those in higher economic brackets."

The Communications Workers of America supports the AT&T/T-Mobile USA merger because of the benefits to both the consumer and workers.

How Consumers Would Benefit From the AT&T/T-Mobile USA Merger (Huffington Post)

T-Mobile USA and AT&T Merger Means Faster and More Widespread Broadband (Speed Matters)