The $26.5 billion deal between Sprint Corp. and T-Mobile US Inc. has finally been approved by the Federal Communications Commission.

For a long time it looked like the deal wouldn’t go through, even though it was given the green light from the Department of Justice in July. The two companies were told this year that the merger might hamper competition, but it now looks like it will still go ahead.

Still, the deal has met with stern opposition. In a letter published on Wednesday, Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said the merger would be bad for business and the public would lose out.

“You don’t need to be an expert to know that going from four wireless carriers to three will hurt competition,” wrote Starks. “This merger takes a bad situation and makes it worse. Higher prices and fewer options across the country will inevitably result. Quite simply, the effects of this ill-conceived merger will hit low-income and rural communities hardest of all.”

Stark went on to say that both companies have not proved their merger will benefit the public interest. “Vague promises do not change what was true when this deal was first proposed and what remains true today – the harms from this merger are not overcome by any condition imposed in the majority’s order,” he said.

Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel also said she didn’t want the merger to happen. “These state officials understand something fundamental: With less competition, rates rise and innovation falls,” she said. “All the evidence demonstrates that this holds true in the mobile-phone industry too. If this merger succeeds, consumers will pay the price.”

Thirteen state attorney generals as well as the District of Columbia have a lawsuit against both companies that argues that the merger would hurt competition, with a trial set for December this year. That will have to be dealt with first.

Photo: Mike Mozart/Flickr