NTCH Loses on Challenge to FCC Verizon Spectrum Order
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected arguments by carrier NTCH challenging an FCC order approving Verizon’s buy of AWS-1 licenses from SpectrumCo and Cox. NTCH argued that the FCC improperly rejected its 2012 petition for reconsideration…
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.
challenging the approval. NTCH had raised concerns about the deal because of the 45 percent ownership of Verizon Wireless then held by the U.K.’s Vodafone. In the 2015 order (see 1504170050), the FCC said the petition was moot since Vodafone had since sold its stake in Verizon Wireless. “We reject NTCH’s claims,” said a decision by the D.C. Circuit panel. “The FCC’s decision not to initiate proceedings to revoke Verizon’s licenses is not subject to judicial review. Furthermore, any questions about the licenses Verizon obtained before the Spectrum Assignment are not properly before the court.” The decision was written by Judge Harry Edwards, who also wrote on behalf of colleagues Cornelia Pillard and Raymond Randolph.