Yesterday, Public Knowledge joined four other consumer and public interest groups in filing a Petition to Deny to the Federal Communications Commission in opposition to a Transfer of Control Application filed by T-Mobile US, Inc. and United States Cellular Corporation. The proposed transactions would see T-Mobile acquire UScellular\u2019s customer base and transfer its spectrum holdings to other wireless carriers. As the petition argues, the elimination of a wireless competitor and the further concentration of wireless spectrum holdings is contrary to the public interest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following can be attributed to Peter Gregory, Broadband Policy Fellow at Public Knowledge:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA transaction that eliminates a competitor whose footprint covers nearly 35 million people, while also handing out the majority of its spectrum holdings to the top three wireless competitors, is harmful to competition and is contrary to the public interest. As competition authorities around the world, including the DOJ, have found, a market with a minimum of 4 competitors is good for lowering prices, propelling innovation, improving quality, and enhancing consumer choice. \u201cWere the Commission to nonetheless grant this application, we have proposed conditions that would alleviate some of the transaction\u2019s harms while providing some benefit to the public. These include an unlocking requirement, a minimum service speed threshold, a mandate for T-Mobile to commit to pro-labor policies, net neutrality requirements to ensure that traffic is treated open and fairly, and a commitment that T-Mobile will efficiently use allocated USF funds and support Lifeline for all eligible customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n