AT&T lobbies Silicon Valley for merger support

Some Silicon Valley companies could be persuaded to work against the deal over fears that they will be critically dependent on an imminently shrinking number of providers.

With that in mind, AT&T sent briefing materials, made phone calls, and offered to hold meetings with Internet companies who might be concerned about the deal. 

It’s been just three days, but so far Silicon Valley is silent on the transaction. 

Tech sources says it could take weeks before Internet companies weigh in on the merger, potentially lobbying for net-neutrality conditions when government reviews are much further along.

CCIA, a tech trade group including Yahoo, Google and Microsoft, put out a scathing statement Tuesday in opposition to the merger.

But several companies in the association as well as a CCIA spokeswoman said the individual members were not asked to approve the statement before it went out, in accordance with CCIA’s usual process.