LONDON, Nov.

Chief executives from AT&T Inc and T-Mobile appeared on Capitol Hill Wednesday to defend the proposed merger of the two companies, insisting their plan would benefit consumers and improve mobile services.

More than half a million iPad owners are using AT&T’s cellular network to surf the Web, said AT&T’s chief executive Randall Stephenson on Tuesday.

CHICAGO, March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Around the world, mobile broadband connectivity has become an essential part of the way people live and work - and, increasingly, an important driver of economic growth and competitive advantage. Randall Stephenson, chairman, CEO and president of AT&T, says that public policies that encourage investment and innovation are needed to keep America competitive.

AT&T Inc is making plans to extend the deal with Apple that makes it the exclusive United States iPhone provider, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.