Unions and consumer groups condemned the Verizon/SpectrumCo deal in advance...
Unions and consumer groups condemned the Verizon/SpectrumCo deal in advance of a hearing Wednesday of the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee. Without incentive to compete with cable, Verizon will halt buildout of FiOS, killing jobs, said the Communications Workers of America and…
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the International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers. “We need wireline and wireless buildout,” CWA President Larry Cohen said. “This deal will freeze then diminish wireline buildout.” Meanwhile, Consumers Union sent the subcommittee a letter Tuesday criticizing the agreement. “Consumers could suffer an increase in prices and face diminished competitive alternatives in the video, broadband, and wireless markets,” the group wrote. Comcast Executive Vice President David Cohen said in a blog post that “the spectrum license transfers are consistent with the Communications Act, FCC rules, and the antitrust laws.” The license assignment and commercial agreements do not “reduce or harm competition in any product or geographic market,” and in fact create competition, he said. Unlike AT&T/T-Mobile’s failed deal, “this transaction involves no consolidation of customers, jobs, assets or operating businesses,” Cohen said. “It will take spectrum not currently being used and get it to a company that wants to quickly deploy it to consumers."