The U.S. Federal Communications Commission must block Verizon Wireless from buying wireless spectrum from cable length providers because two proposed deals would condense too much spectrum in the hands of one troupe , a coalition of advocacy group say .
The deals , which also allow Verizon and the cable firms resell each others ’ services , “ give rise to serious concern that not only will these providers decline to compete further with one another , they will actively conspire with one another , ” the groups said in aTuesday filing with the FCC .
Two spectrum deals that Verizon announced in December “ would fundamentally alter the nature of the telecommunications macrocosm in a manner utterly adverse to that intended by the 1996 Telecommunications Act , ” the groups say in their FCC filing . Congress , in the 1996 law , focused on increasing competition in the telecommunications market .
Among the nine grouping register the request at the FCC were Public Knowledge , the Media Access Project , the New America Foundation Open Technology Initiative , and the National Consumer Law Center .
“ To ‘ supersize ’ Verizon Wireless with additional spectrum … so that the large wireless operator can better promote the services of the large incumbent cable’s length operator directly subvert the pro - competitive policies of the 1996 Act and is thus contrary to the public involvement , ” the groups said .
Also file a petition this week ask the FCC to stop the great deal was T - Mobile USA , a competitor of Verizon ’s that tried unsuccessfully during the past year to merge with AT&T. Verizon ’s large spectrum property already give it “ significant vantage ” over humble competitor in the race to deploy eminent - speed LTE ( Long Term Evolution ) mobile broadband Robert William Service , T - Mobile said in its filing .
“ The acquisition will limit the deployment of LTE by competitors of Verizon Wireless and the bandwidth usable for such deployment , ” T - Mobile enounce in the filing . “ If these transactions go forrard , the end result will be less LTE electrical capacity uncommitted overall and rock-bottom competition in the provision of LTE , which would be contrary to the public interest . ”
Verizon announce in Decembera deal to grease one’s palms underused spectrum licensescovering 259 million U.S. occupant from SpectrumCo , a joint venture among Comcast , Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks , for $ 3.6 billion .
Later that month , Cox Communicationsannounced plans to sell radio spectrum licensescovering 28 million U.S. resident to Verizon for $ 315 million .
In the wad , Verizon and the cable provider agreed to set up joint operating entities to develop Modern technologies to join voice , video and wireless dealings . The technology that could result would be a young standard controlled by company that control approximately 40 percent of the wireless food market , 40 percent of the residential broadband markets and 40 percent of the residential video market , the grouping suppose in their filing .
Verizon defended the raft .
“ We believe the spectrum leverage is in the public interest , and will turn to the needs of all consumers , putting spectrum to study to meet growing demand , ” the party said in a statement . The raft are reproducible with the FCC ’s finish of see “ that live spectrum is used by provider who can expend it efficiently , ” the society enounce .
