AT&T cries foul, tries to block Xohm/Clearwire WiMAX merger

AT&T pettitioned the FCC to put the proposed merger of Sprint's Xohm and Clearwire's WiMAX ventures on hold, pending further scrutiny. AT&T says that the proposed entity has stated that it plans to compete directly with mobile broadband providers such as AT&T, and therefore its merger should be studied at the same level of detail as deals involving AT&T and other national carriers (such as Verizon and Alltel).

AT&T says that it is not fundementally opposed to the plan, but that it believe Xohm and Clearwire "should be required to demonstrate that its merger serves the public interest just like any other providers would have to do."