AT&T conceded defeat Monday in its dramatic standoff with the federal government over one of the largest telecom mergers ever proposed.

The decision by AT&T to abandon its $39 billion bid for T-Mobile amounted to a decisive win for federal regulators — and a counterpoint to critics who claim that Big Business always gets its way in Washington.

AT&T lost despite a nine-month, multimillion lobbying campaign that ultimately fell on deaf ears at the Justice Department and FCC. Regulators decided that the deal would leave wireless customers with too few choices and higher prices.

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