Black Press Publishers Praise AT&T Merger

WASHINGTON -- Danny Bakewell, Sr., Chairman of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, has released the following statement in response to news that AT&T will acquire T-Mobile USA:

"Yesterday's announcement of the proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile takes us a tangible step closer to our goal of cementing broadband as 'the great equalizer' it bears the potential to be and increasing jobs and economic opportunities for minority and rural communities.

"In recent years, we have born witness to unprecedented support from government, industry, public citizens and the media to increase broadband access and adoption. That support has been amplified when we talk about the power of mobile broadband to provide access to communities who, whether for geographic, social and economic reasons, have remained disenfranchised from the digital revolution in which America is presently immersed.

"With this new opportunity on the horizon, we can rest assured that those in greatest need of broadband can access it, and that their use will be of the highest quality, most efficient networks possible to facilitate their communications and socio-economic needs."

National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA): The National Newspaper Publishers Association, also known as the Black Press of America, is a 69-year-old federation of more than 200 Black community newspapers from across the United States.