Verizon Roaming Rates Aren't Commercially Reasonable, NTCH Tells FCC
That Verizon charges similar or higher data roaming rates to other customers than it has offered NTCH “does not make those rates reasonable,” NTCH said in reply comments in its dispute with Verizon (see 1505080011). Verizon dominates the CDMA roaming…
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market, which “leaves other carriers, including the very largest ones, with little or no negotiating power,” NTCH said. “This allows Verizon to charge everyone exorbitant roaming rates, which it, of course, does.” FCC reliance on market forces to keep rates reasonable “does not prevent it from intervening now that a serious failure of competition renders traditional market forces ineffective,” NTCH said. Regardless of roaming rates, it will always be cheaper for NTCH to build its own facilities in the markets it serves, the company said. “Disincentives to build do not of course apply to the vast majority of the American market where NTCH does not have spectrum rights and therefore must rely on Verizon for CDMA roaming.” The NTCH filing was posted Monday in docket 14-212. Verizon offered its version Oct. 9. Verizon said it has never refused to offer roaming to NTCH and has “acted promptly and in good faith throughout the parties' negotiations.” The rates it has offered the smaller carrier are “well within the range (indeed, near the low end of the range)” of the rates Verizon has offered other carriers and sometimes pays as a result roaming agreements, Verizon said.