Now that the U.S. Department of Justice is suing AT&T over its plan to acquire T-Mobile, the deal may be even more desirable to AT&T. 

AT&T is fighting the lawsuit, which arguably demonstrates that T-Mobile plays a more valuable role in the market than previously thought. Hawaii was one of several states to raise questions about the possible merger, which federal lawyers say is dangerous to competition. 

As The Wall Street Journal reports, the stakes are high: If AT&T is prevented from completing the $39 billion deal, it will still have to pay a $3 billion fee to T-Mobile’s parent company.