SaveWirelessChoice Arguments Are Old News, AT&T Says
Launch of a new coalition to raise concerns about AT&T and Verizon "dominance" of low-band spectrum is nothing more than “old whine in new bottles,” AT&T Vice President Joan Marsh said Wednesday in a blog post. The SaveWirelessChoice coalition launched…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
Monday (see 1504270037). “Based on the group’s opening advocacy salvo, I don’t expect much in the way of any new or insightful arguments,” Marsh said. “For example, they have revived the old myth that AT&T and Verizon were awarded half of their low band spectrum ‘for free’ -- a claim that has been so thoroughly refuted I’m surprised it’s still treated as news.” Marsh said that AT&T got almost 97 percent of its low-frequency spectrum through auction or a secondary market transaction. “AT&T’s ultimate predecessor, Southwestern Bell, was originally assigned Cellular B-block licenses in only a small number of license areas covering portions of only five states,” she said. The TV incentive auction "isn’t just about AT&T or Sprint or T-Mobile or any one of the 100 other competitive carriers CCA represents," responded Rebecca Thompson, general counsel at the Competitive Carriers Association. "It’s about the American consumer, rural and urban alike, and preserving the integrity of a competitive mobile ecosystem. ... Competitive carriers must have meaningful opportunities to acquire spectrum in the upcoming auction, and our members are committed to ensuring this becomes a reality. AT&T is correct that this concept is not new or novel, but it’s the right public policy for consumers."