Yahoo, RIM, Microsoft and Facebook are among a a number of companies and venture capital firms that have come out in favor of AT&T's $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile. While we've clearly noted that the deal won't really change AT&T's wireless broadband plans, a letter from the Microsoft-led coalition of companies filed with the FCC this week insists the deal is necessary to help AT&T "extend its next-generation data network." "Many policy-related efforts will not be able to quickly address near-term capacity needs," the Microsoft-led group wrote in its letter. "The FCC must seriously weigh the benefits of this merger and approve it." While Microsoft and Facebook may love the idea of an AT&T and T-Mobile union, the deal remains fiercely unpopular among consumers and consumer groups, with few in the press buying AT&T's justification of the deal.