AT&T trial date set for February

A federal judge on Wednesday set Feb. 13 as the trial date for the Justice Department's lawsuit to block AT&T's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile.

The decision is a compromise between AT&T's proposed Jan. 16 start date and the Justice Department's choice of March 19.

The lawsuit alleges that the merger would violate antitrust law by stifling competition in the wireless market. Seven state attorneys general joined the Justice Department's suit last week.

"We're glad to have a start date for a trial," an AT&T spokesman said. "We are hopeful that we can reach a solution with the DOJ that addresses their concerns, but if not, we will be well prepared for trial." 

Sprint has filed its own lawsuit against the merger of its rivals. 

Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle on Wednesday ruled against Sprint's motion to have access to the documents that the government and AT&T will share with each other as part of their trial.

She scheduled Oct. 24 for an oral argument of whether to consolidate the two cases.

—This story was updated at 5:15 p.m.

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