T-Mobile Is Turning its Back on Californians

To the California Public Utilities Commission:

The proposed merger between T-Mobile and Sprint would be disastrous for Californians who rely on mobile broadband for access to health care, education, employment, news and much more.

This deal would be especially harmful for low-income people and communities of color — expanding the digital divide as well as causing massive layoffs and store closures across the state.

We’re calling on you to reject this merger. Protect affordability and access by promoting healthy competition between mobile providers. Our futures depend on it.

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T-Mobile Is Turning its Back on Californians

It’s official: T-Mobile is selling Californians out, and the days of the “un-carrier” are over.

The company that shook up the industry by ditching contracts and lowering costs is now doing its best AT&T impression in pursuit of a disastrous mega-merger.¹

This merger would destroy competition and raise prices across the nation — but the impacts would be especially severe in California. In Los Angeles and Sacramento, a majority of wireless subscribers depend on T-Mobile and Sprint.

And in their comments at the FCC, the companies aren’t even pretending that this merger would lower prices: their own economic models show that prepaid prices would rise.

To make matters worse, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) estimates that more than 3,000 Californians will lose their jobs if the merger is greenlit.² These jobs are mostly in retail locations, and T-Mobile and Sprint stores are clustered largely in low-income neighborhoods because they actually serve people who live there.

This merger means that poor Californians would lose service or have to forego basic necessities to stay connected to jobs, education, health care and families.

The good news is that the California Public Utilities Commission is asking for public input about the merger from Californians like you. It’ll be holding hearings across the state and is also accepting written comments. Tell the California Public Utilities Commission to reject the T-Mobile/Sprint merger and protect the public from greedy corporations.

1. “The T-Mobile/Sprint Merger Is Bad News. Here's Why,” Free Press, May 1, 2018: https://www.freepress.net/our-response/expert-analysis/insights-opinions/t-mobilesprint-merger-bad-news-heres-why

2. “Proposed Merger Would Lead to Fewer Jobs and Higher Prices in California,” Communications Workers of America, Oct. 18, 2018: https://cwa-union.org/news/releases/citing-3185-jobs-risk-cwa-district-9-files-motion-become-party-in-cpuc-review-of