Tag Archives: AT&T

An exciting new ally joined the fight to stop AT&T’s dangerous merger with T-Mobile: the United Stated Department of Justice. Arguing that the merger would crush competition and lead to higher prices, the DOJ filed a lawsuit in Federal court to block the merger, dealing it a major blow.1

This is an important victory in our fight to protect the ability of poor folks and communities of color to use the Internet to make a better life for themselves. If AT&T were allowed to purchase T-Mobile, it would have a terrible impact on jobs, affordability, and Internet freedom.

Instead, the case will take months to wind its way through the court system. And the Federal Communications Commission, which also has authority over the proposed deal, has publicly indicated its own deep misgivings.2 None of this could have happened without the massive public outcry from ColorOfChange members, and our friends and allies. Thank you.

This fight isn’t over yet. We can’t predict how the lawsuit will turn out, and it’s important that we remain vigilant. AT&T is expected to fight the DOJ’s decision tooth and nail, and it remains possible that the DOJ and AT&T could hammer out a deal that leads the DOJ to drop its opposition. And 76 Democratic members of Congress are still on record supporting the deal. It’s critical that we continue to expose their false arguments in support of the merger and keep pushing them to withdraw their support.

AT&T has spent millions on lobbying and PR to advance its agenda, and it will continue to use its vast resources to twist the facts and mislead the public. Our work is powered by you, our members, and we need your support to keep fighting back. Your voice has been a powerful force in this fight. If you can also support our work financially, in any amount, please click the link below:

http://www.colorofchange.org/donate

We’ll

be sure keep you up to date with any new opportunities to take action. At ColorOfChange, we will continue to stand up for everyone’s right to access a free and open Internet, and we hope you will continue to be there with us.

Thanks and Peace,

— Rashad, James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Matt, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
September 2nd, 2011

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:

http://www.colorofchange.org/donate

References:

1. “U.S. sues to block AT&T buying T-Mobile,” MarketWatch, 8-31-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/952?akid=2150.1174326.zFs-xm&t=4

. “FCC Still Reviewing AT&T’s T-Mobile Deal After Justice’s Antitrust Action,” Bloomberg, 8-31-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/953?akid=2150.1174326.zFs-xm&t=6

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A really, really bad idea …Al Franken

08/25/2011 Nativegrl77

If you’ve been keeping up with the fight to stop media consolidation, you know what we’re worried about: the prospect of just a few enormous corporations controlling the flow of information in America.

That’s why the proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile is a really, really bad idea.

It would create a wireless juggernaut so powerful that only Verizon could hope to compete (Sprint would likely wither away or get eaten up by one of the new Big Two). These two monoliths could raise prices or reduce the quality of service with no concern that their customers will go somewhere else — because there won’t be anywhere else for them to go. This is bad for consumers, obviously — but it’s also bad for an industry so critical to our economy.

Meanwhile, the merger would be a bad blow for net neutrality, allowing the Big Two unprecedented control over what content we can access on wireless networks — and at what speed.

And if that weren’t enough, AT&T estimates that it will save $3 billion a year in “operational savings” and “cost synergies,” which sounds to me like layoffs, and lots of them — maybe thousands or even tens of thousands of lost jobs.

Let’s see — higher prices, worse service, less innovation, reduced competition, AND lost jobs? Sounds like a really, really bad idea to me.

I’m going to fight this merger, and I hope you’re ready to help. Stay tuned.

Thanks,

PS: Our efforts are not funded by corporations and massive unlimited contributions, we rely on small individual donations from supporters like you. Can you pitch in $5 or $10 to help us keep growing our grassroots team?

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Phone companies delaying donations to Japan …a message from Weldon and the Change.org team

03/23/2011 Nativegrl77

As Japan struggles to overcome a disastrous string of events — including a possible nuclear catastrophe — millions of us have sought to help, often by donating money to urgent relief efforts.

Tell AT&T and Verizon to stop delaying donations to Japan

But if you donate via text message, your donations may take up to 90 days to reach aid organizations that need the money as soon as possible.

Even though they’re getting large amounts of free media attention for their text-to-donate programs, companies like AT&T and Verizon have chosen not to release the donation money right away. Many customers assume that they’re sending funds straight to disaster zones in the crucial days after the earthquake, but donations are transferred after the end of your next billing cycle, a process that can take up to three months.

Masaya Uchino, a law student in San Francisco with family in Japan, started a petition on Change.org to demand that AT&T, Verizon, and other major phone service providers stop delaying much needed donations from reaching organizations doing relief work in Japan. Please add your name to the petition now:

http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-delay-on-donations-to-japan-2?alert_id=QXeUWkuBQr_FsaGSFRkzG&me=aa

After the earthquake in Haiti, Change.org members and others asked phone companies to provide donations immediately — and the phone companies came through. But so far they’ve refused to take the same step, and it’s up to us to join Masaya in speaking out.

Thanks for taking action,

– Weldon and the Change.org team

P.S. If you want to donate immediately to relief efforts, join the Change.org staff in contributing to one or more of these great organizations:

Oxfam America: http://chn.ge/hd3n4C

International Medical Corps: http://chn.ge/hhkQhT

Habitat for Humanity: http://chn.ge/e8OX7r

UN Foundation: http://chn.ge/hVZ5uu

American Red Cross: http://chn.ge/eWtkti

UNICEF: http://chn.ge/hDASyY