WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Florida has signed on to a consent agreement that the Justice Department reached with Sprint Corp and T-Mobile US Inc to allow the companies to merge, according to a court filing on Wednesday.

While Florida's decision to join the government is a morale boost for the companies, it may have little practical effect since the two sides already settled.

A group of 17 states and the District of Columbia has filed a separate lawsuit to stop the $26 billion merger, arguing that it will lead to higher prices for consumers. A trial date has been set for Dec. 9.

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Florida on Wednesday joined Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma and South Dakota in backing the federal government's decision to approve the deal on condition that the companies, the third- and fourth-largest U.S. wireless companies, divest Sprint’s prepaid businesses to satellite television company Dish Network Corp to create a fourth U.S. wireless carrier.

Separately, the Federal Communications Commission has indicated it plans to approve the merger and has begun the process of formally doing so.