Customers, consumer advocacy groups, and small cable companies are speaking out against AT&T’s proposed purchase of DirecTV.

But just as Comcast was able to claim broad support for its Time Warner Cable merger, AT&T has plenty of moneyed interests and politicians on its side. Microsoft wrote to the Federal Communications Commission this week in support of the merger, pointing to AT&T’s promises to expand broadband deployments if it’s allowed to buy the satellite TV company.

Microsoft, which partners with AT&T to offer technology services to businesses, echoed AT&T’s talking points in its letter:

In connection with its proposed merger, AT&T has committed to increase broadband deployment by (a) making available enhanced fiber-to-the-premises wireline broadband service to two million additional customer locations, and (b) deploying fixed wireless local loop technology to bring broadband with speeds of 15-20Mbps to approximately 13 million largely rural customer locations in areas outside AT&T’s wireline footprint or within that footprint but that currently do not receive AT&T’s U-verse broadband and video bundle. This commitment clearly advances a critical national broadband objective with respect to investment in and deployment of high-speed broadband access services across the US. Because Microsoft believes strongly in these principles, we encourage the Commission to give these commitments appropriate public interest weight and to approve the proposed acquisition.

The merger should be approved "as a means of furthering the deployment of critical broadband infrastructure," wrote Microsoft VP of US Government Affairs Frederick Humphries, Jr.

Consumer advocacy groups have pointed out that AT&T’s fiber claims are unverifiable because AT&T has not said how many customer locations would get fiber if the company isn’t allowed to buy DirecTV. An expansion of AT&T’s fixed wireless products could also give AT&T incentives to let its older copper network fall into disrepair, they claim.

But AT&T, a big political donor, also has politicians on its side.

“It gives me great pleasure to express my enthusiastic support for the merger of AT&T/DirecTV,” wrote Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, who has received $12,000 from AT&T. “Rural Arkansans have waited for broadband service for years, but distance, terrain, and demographics have posed major stumbling blocks. With the proposed merger, customers in many of these locations will receive satellite and high-speed broadband networks for the first time—services that most of us take for granted.”

Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel used, word-for-word, some of the same talking points in his letter of support.

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley urged the FCC to consider “all that AT&T does and has done on behalf of the people of Maryland,” including employing about 2,000 state residents and contributing to schools.

Utah State Senators Kevin Van Tassell, David Hinkins, and Ralph Okerlund asked the FCC to approve the deal, saying it will “crate [sic] synergy in service” and benefit rural customers with “integrated bundles of broadband, video, and voice service.”

AT&T, which has a large union and offers discounts to union members, also got support from the Minnesota AFL-CIO and the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The latter group also supported AT&T’s failed effort to buy T-Mobile, “hoping to land thousands of new members in one fell swoop,” The Wall Street Journal wrote. The CWA makes the same case now, arguing that “AT&T's labor relations policies that support collective bargaining will extend to DirecTV's non-management workforce after the transaction.”

Opposition remains

Some of AT&T's rivals oppose the merger. The American Cable Association, which represents small cable companies, wrote that combining AT&T and DirecTV will make it easier for the combined entity to overcharge competitors for programming such as the regional sports networks owned by DirecTV.

A group of former AT&T cellular partners accused the company of forcing out minority partners in order to consolidate its wireless holdings. "AT&T engaged in a pattern of self-dealing behavior over more than a decade in clear violation of its fiduciary duty to its partners—improperly squeezing out those partners that it could and forcibly removing those partners still remaining," they wrote, urging the FCC to examine "AT&T's past anti-competitive behavior" and deny the merger.

Individual customers also wrote to the FCC, asking the agency to stop the merger.

“As a DirecTV subscriber, I am very opposed to AT&T buying DirecTV,” Kyle Cassell wrote. “I’ve dealt with AT&T before and if they buy DirecTV I will cancel my subscription and go wireless. AT&T is one of the worst companies. Everything about the company is trash. Their service is terrible and they screw you with the data charges. I could only imagine what would happen if they owned DirecTV.”

“A merger like this would eliminate the already small competition in the cable industry,” Pruitt Holcombe wrote. “Very few towns have the luxury of having two cable companies. Allowing this merger would make the effective monopoly in the industry one step closer to being a practical one. Competition will be stifled, and consumers will be at the mercy of powerful cable companies. Please do not allow this merger to go through.”

AT&T has 5.9 million TV subscribers, while DirecTV has 20.2 million. AT&T also has 16.4 million broadband subscribers. The FCC has finished taking initial comments on the merger, but has scheduled two more commenting rounds ending October 16 and November 5, under proceeding 14-90.