The FCC Wireless Bureau Wednesday “accepted for filing”...
The FCC Wireless Bureau Wednesday “accepted for filing” AT&T’s proposal to buy Leap Wireless. The order establishes a pleading cycle on what so far has not proven to be a controversial transaction. Petitions to deny are due Sept. 27, oppositions…
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Oct. 7 and replies Oct. 15. “Preliminary review of the Applications indicates that AT&T would acquire, through a transfer of control, 10-50 megahertz of spectrum in 1,354 counties in 356 Cellular Market Areas nationwide,” the bureau said (http://fcc.us/148Lg1N). “AT&T would temporarily acquire a Lower 700 MHz A Block license, to be sold for the benefit of the Leap shareholders, in Chicago. Post-transaction, in markets in which there is geographical overlap, the merged entity would hold 46 to 180 megahertz of spectrum covering approximately 137 million people, or approximately 44 percent of the population of the mainland United States.” The two assert that the proposed transaction “would combine AT&T’s nationwide network with Leap’s prepaid/no-contract business to the benefit of consumers seeking a high-quality, competitively-priced prepaid wireless experience,” the bureau said. AT&T said in a surprise announcement in July it would buy its much smaller competitor (CD July 15 p1). The bureau notes that at the end of 2012, AT&T had about 107 million wireless subscribers and as of June 30, Leap had some 4.8 million subscribers.