This is great news for consumers:

California Public Utilities Commission–which is reviewing the AT&T deal –said the takeover would harm competition in the largest U.S. state by population and urged the full commission to reject the deal.

“The increased market concentration would cement AT&T’s role as a gatekeeper in the telecommunications markets, not only for wireless services, but wireline as well,” the Division of Ratepayer Advocates wrote in a filing released today. “This merger is nothing more than an attempt by AT&T to stifle competition by acquiring an unprecedented amount of spectrum and controlling other key inputs of wireless service.”