Verizon Wireless’s announcement it plans to sell off 700 MHz...

its existing and proposed services,” MetroPCS said in a meeting at the FCC. Verizon’s sale of its A-block spectrum could also be seen as a negative development, MetroPCS said (http://xrl.us/bm5c5n). “MetroPCS itself holds a 700 MHz A Block license for the Boston market and its experience indicates that resolving a Channel 51 interference problem by voluntary agreement is difficult if not impossible,” MetroPCS said. “This means that the sale proposed by Verizon will not provide meaningful near term spectrum relief for third parties. In addition, the departure of Verizon from the 700 MHz A block would remove a powerful player who might have sufficient market power to help drive a solution to the Channel 51 incumbency problem.” The A- and B-blocks also face pending buildout deadlines, the carrier noted. “Even assuming a best case timetable, the pre-conditions being imposed by Verizon result in a timetable where the buying carrier will likely only have a few months to meet the construction deadlines in June 2013. This will be especially difficult in certain areas which present severe zoning challenges, like California, that will add additional time-consuming burdens to meeting the construction deadline.” Free Press officials also reported on meetings at the FCC last week to discuss the Verizon/cable deals. “We presented arguments and evidence that suggest Verizon’s claims of need for additional spectrum are vastly overstated,” Free Press said (http://xrl.us/bm5c59). “We also presented arguments and evidence that indicate Verizon is vastly overstating its need for these specific AWS licenses, particularly those in the eastern 2/3 of the U.S. where Verizon already holds AWS spectrum. We discussed evidence supporting our prior arguments that Verizon has numerous other methods to handle future traffic increases in a manner that would not foreclose a future of increased competition in the wireless market.” Verizon Wireless fired back. “Our filings have made it clear that Verizon Wireless requires the additional AWS spectrum to meet the needs of consumers on our 4G LTE network, and our track record as an efficient user of spectrum is also well established and documented,” a spokesman said in response. “Our proposed sale of A and B block spectrum, should the SpectrumCo license transfer be approved, is not an admission of anything other than a belief that a well-functioning secondary marketplace plays an important role by putting spectrum into the hands of the entities that can best use it to serve the needs of consumers, and that we believe it is important to get that spectrum into the marketplace.”