The Federal Communications Commission is looking to keep its review of proposed spectrum deals by Verizon Wireless on track, announcing late last week that it would not extend the comment period in light of a new deal announced late last month with T-Mobile USA.
Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA announced a spectrum sale/swap late last month that is contingent on Verizon Wireless gaining spectrum assets from a handful of cable companies operating under the SpectrumCo name, a deal with Cox and a smaller deal with Leap Wireless.
Last week the Rural Telecommunications Group and Public Knowledge filed a motion asking the FCC to extend the comment period on the Verizon Wireless/T-Mobile USA proposed deal by an additional 14-days in order to take into consideration potential comments from Verizon Wireless or T-Mobile USA in response to the opposition. The original 14-day deadline is set to expire on July 10.
RTG and Public Knowledge filed the motion for an extension on July 5, which was followed the next day by a filing from Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA to deny the motion.
The FCC opened up the 14-day comment window on the Verizon Wireless/T-Mobile USA proposed deal, asking for input regarding the impact the deal would have on the previously announced Verizon Wireless spectrum deals with SpectrumCo and Cox.
In denying the extension, the FCC sided with Verizon Wireless/T-Mobile USA in noting that opposition to the proposed deal would have time to reply to comments from Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA that are not due until July 24.
“It is the commission’s policy that extensions of time are not routinely granted,” the FCC noted in its response. “We are not persuaded, under the circumstances outlined in the motion, that Public Knowledge and RTG have shown good cause that granting the motion for an extension of time would serve the public interest. The commission has an obligation to review the transactions proposed in the Verizon Wireless/SpectrumCo/Cox applications as expeditiously as possible, consistent with the public interest.”
A number of smaller operators and rural trade associations have come out against Verizon Wireless’ various proposed spectrum deals, noting that in the end the agreements would consolidate spectrum holdings with the nation’s largest wireless operator and stifle competition. T-Mobile USA had originally come out against the proposed deals prior to signing its own spectrum swap agreement with Verizon Wireless.
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