DOJ reportedly near approval of $48.5B AT&T-DirecTV merger

Lawyers at the Department of Justice are preparing to approve AT&T’s merger with DirecTV, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

{mosads}Staff in the department’s antitrust division have reportedly settled on the deal, which must still be approved by top lawyers in the division.

The Department of Justice reviews deals for the effect they might have on the competitive landscape in a given industry.

The $48.5 billion deal also awaits approval from the Federal Communications Commission. The telecom regulator could still put conditions on the deal, including demanding that AT&T comply with the rules included in the agency’s net neutrality order.

AT&T declined to comment on the Bloomberg report.

The FCC recently announced it was planning to fine AT&T $100 billion for allegedly misleading some customers about slowing down their data speeds. AT&T denies breaking the agency’s rules.

Earlier this year, the FCC and Department of Justice effectively killed a merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable.