Corporate Greed Out Of Control: Why AT&T’s takeover deal of T-Mobile is bad for customers and free market capitalism

..move to take over T-Mobile USA is disastrous news for customers. It will let AT&T shut down a competitor, jack up prices, and save on customer service.

The whole essence of the free market system lies in consumer choice and competition. That’s why companies can charge what they like, and offer the products and services they like. But ultimately, if the consumer is unhappy, they can take their business elsewhere. That at least is how old fashioned capitalism used to work. Today, specially in the utilities, energy, medical and transportation sectors the choices for the consumer are continuously being reduced as a result of mergers.

What’s going to happen to some of these great T-Mobile features after AT&T takes it over? If one listens to what AT&T chairman Randall Stephenson said this weekend "that AT&T “will look hard at whether to continue some of T-Mobile's services one can only wonder what that means?

History has proven now without doubt that these merger deals are always bad for the consumer. If you happen to think wireless and telephone companies are arrogant today, just wait till they’ve cut their cozy wireless communication club down to just three with the possibility of even more “merger misery” in that industry.

Remember the Sprint and Nextel or the FedEx and Kinko’s merger? Or look what happens if you want to book a flight on an airline these days, following the mergers in that industry. Sky high costs, little or no service, additional charges for food, baggage, seating, fuel, taxes, and just about everything else. Also, to make matters worse, one will find that in today's corporate worlds we find that most CEO's don't care. Why should they? They just have their mind on just three things: Stock options, stock options, and stock options.

You as a consumer in the US and the EU can take action if you care about freedom of choice and competition. Write to your local parliamentarian, or US congressman. Write to your representative in the European parliament or US Senator. Write to the European Ombudsman, US Federal Communications Commission or the U.S. Department of Justice. They are ones which must approve deals like the one between T-Mobile and AT&T or others.

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