AT&T is free to complete its acquisition of BellSouth, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) said Wednesday, ruling the deal won’t reduce competition in the telecommunications marketplace.While the decision is still open to review by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the announcement clears a major hurdle for the US$67 billion purchase.Members of the U.S. Congress and rival phone carriers have pleaded with government regulators to block the deal, fearing it would thwart competition. Telephony providers signing a recent petition to the FCC included XO Communications, Talk America Holdings and NuVox Communications.Indeed, the combined companies would cover a significant portion of the United States. Just as SBC Communications expanded its western and southwestern regional phone network when it acquired AT&T’s nationwide long-distance services along with the AT&T name in 2005, AT&T would add southeastern regional phone service with the proposed BellSouth deal. However, DoJ lawyers said that neither company—AT&T or BellSouth—would have to sell off any networks, as regulators had required before approving SBC’s bid for AT&T.The DoJ’s antitrust division had investigated the deal’s impact on future competition for wireless broadband services, as well as the areas where the two companies currently compete, including residential local and long-distance service, business telecommunications and Internet services. Investigators found that consumers’ welfare would not be harmed by the proposed buyout, thanks to the presence of other competitors, changing regulatory requirements and the emergence of new technologies such as voice over IP, Assistant Attorney General Thomas Barnett said in a release.Barnett also said the deal would not affect “net neutrality,” the concern that a communications provider might favor its own Internet content over a competitor’s. Although the deal will certainly increase the number of subscribers to AT&T’s broadband network, the majority of nationwide Internet users are served by rivals such as Verizon Communications, Qwest Communications International, Comcast and Time Warner, he said.-Ben Ames, IDG News Service (Boston Bureau)Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content feature 8 tips for unleashing the power of unstructured data For most organizations, data in the form of text, video, audio, and other formats is plentiful but remains untapped. Here’s how to unlock business value from this overlooked data trove. By Bob Violino Nov 28, 2023 10 mins Data Mining Data Mining Data Mining opinion What you don’t know about data management could kill your business Organizations without a solid data management strategy are on a collision course with catastrophe. Unfortunately, that’s most businesses, judging by the fundamental disconnect on the importance of strong data foundations. By Thornton May Nov 28, 2023 6 mins Data Architecture Data Governance Master Data Management brandpost Sponsored by Dell Technologies and Intel® Gen AI without the risks Demystifying generative AI: Practical tips for cost-effective deployment in your organization. By Andy Morris, Enterprise AI Strategy Lead at Intel Nov 27, 2023 6 mins Artificial Intelligence brandpost Sponsored by SAP Old age isn’t what is used to be: a versatile solution for a more independent breed of seniors An award-winning company from Down Under gives today’s seniors the power to access the services they need while keeping control of their own destinies and preserving their independence. By Michael Kure, SAP Contributor Nov 27, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe