Influence Explored: T-Mobile and Metro PCS merge successfully

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An article in the New York Times last week reported that T-Mobile USA’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom, bought Metro PCS, another cell service provider. According to the Times’ reporting, this merger could strengthen T-Mobile against competitors like Sprint Nextel, and the buy was intended to help T-Mobile to better provide low-cost service to customers.

Companies within the Telecomm Services and Equipment industry make significant contributions to political campaigns and committees. The industry as a whole gave a total of $13.5 million so far this election cycle. Here’s a look at the contributions and influence of the industry players mentioned in this article:

  • Employees of T-Mobile USA and their family members made $722,175 in campaign contributions so far in the 2011-2012 election cycle. They donated to both individuals and political action committees, and 55 percent of contributions went to Republicans, while 44 percent of donations went to Democrats.
  • In 2011, during an attempted merger with AT&T, T-Mobile reported spending over $6 million lobbying issues including taxes, broadband spectrum and the merger with AT&T. The company is on track to spend about the same amount this year. In the first two quarters of 2012, T-Mobile reported spending about $3 million to lobby Congress and government agencies on taxes, broadband, mergers and other issues.
  • Employees and others associated with Metro PCS have contributed a total of $28,535 to campaigns since 2000.
  • Employees of Sprint Nextel and their family members donated a little more than $500,000 so far during the 2011-2012 cycle.

‘Influence Explored’ takes an article from the day’s headlines and exposes the influential ways of the  entities mentioned in the article. Names and corporations are run through Sunlight’s influence tracking tools such as Influence Explorer to remind readers of the money that powers Washington.