The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case filed against AT&T by Internet service provider LinkLine, which accused the telecom of anti-competitive practices.
Originally heard by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, LinkLine filed the suit claiming that AT&T overcharged for wholesale high-speed Internet service, making it impossible for the reseller to compete with AT&T’s low prices in the retail market. LinkLine buys Internet access from AT&T, combines it with other services and then resells the service in competition with the AT&T.
The San Francisco Court ruled against AT&T, saying that the company was intentionally setting wholesale prices to prohibit competition in the retail market from resellers. AT&T asked the Supreme Court to step in, saying that its prices are fair and reasonable and that the accusations are not covered under current antitrust legislation.
In a statement, the operator said: “We are pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear our appeal.”
