AT&T and the Justice Department are hashing out court dates for the agency’s antitrust lawsuit against the T-Mobile USA deal.
The two sides want different deadlines in the expedited trial, with the DOJ pushing for more time, according to a status report filed on Friday.
AT&T wants the trial to begin on Jan. 16, 2012, but the DOJ doesn’t want to begin the trial until March 19, 2012.
Each party has also offered differing dates on expert witness lists, the submission of evidence and depositions.
AT&T has asked the judge to order that discovery to be completed by Dec. 30, while the DOJ wants that date to be pushed out to Jan. 10, 2012. AT&T wants depositions to conclude by Dec. 30, while the DOJ has asked the court to set that date set at March 7, 2012.
The DOJ and AT&T will sit down with a judge on Sept. 21 to discuss the timing of the trial.
The DOJ’s lawsuit is a major hurdle to AT&T’s $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile. The complaint effectively put the brakes on the deal and it is not clear whether the operator will be able to reach a settlement that will alleviate the DOJ’s concerns.
Meanwhile, the FCC is still conducting its review of the deal, but could be reluctant to make a decision until the federal court case is concluded.
Filed Under: Industry regulations + certifications