NEW YORK, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- T-Mobile and AT&T have withdrawn an application to U.S. regulators to merge their cellphone businesses, company officials said Thursday.
Deutsche Telekom, which owns T-Mobile USA, and AT&T said their merger plans are going forward, The New York Times reported. But the companies gave several other hints that they are abandoning the deal, including saying that AT&T has factored a $4 billion charge into its earnings for fees that it must pay Deutsche Telekom if the merger does not take place.
Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, suggested earlier week the agency would not approve the merger. The application's withdrawal means information included with it will not become public.
Gigi B. Sohn, who heads the consumer group Public Knowledge, said AT&T appears to have little hope of winning FCC approval.
"The chances that AT&T will take over T-Mobile are almost gone," she said.
