DOJ REQUIRES DIVESTITURES IN AT&T’S ACQUISITION OF CENTENNIAL

On October 13, 2009, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) settled with AT&T Inc. (“AT&T”) regarding its $944 million acquisition of Centennial Communications Corp. (“Centennial”).

Specifically, AT&T is required to divest its assets in eight Cellular Marketing Areas (“CMA”), as defined by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”), in southwestern and central Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi in order for the transaction to be consummated. According to the DOJ, AT&T and Centennial are each other’s closest competitors in various markets. Therefore, the transaction would have reduced competition for mobile wireless telecommunications services in the eight CMAs.

The proposed transaction is still under review by the FCC.

Andre Barlow
(202) 589-1834
abarlow@dbmlawgroup.com