Verizon Wireless calls for dismissal of LTE equipment requirements

Verizon Wireless (VZ) is claiming that Cellular South’s recent announcement that it was working with Samsung Telecommunications America calls into question the rural operator’s claim that small operators will not be able to launch LTE networks if equipment makers are not required to produce equipment compatible with all 700 MHz spectrum licenses.
Cellular South announced last month that Samsung would provide equipment and a pair of handsets for the carrier’s plan to roll out LTE services using its 700 MHz spectrum holdings.
In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission, Verizon Wireless noted that the arguments put forth as part of claims by rural operators and the Rural Cellular Association under the guise of the Good Faith Purchasers Alliance that carriers would not be able to deploy LTE networks at a reasonable cost without mandates for equipment compatible across the 700 MHz band are baseless.
“Cellular South’s launch of its LTE network and procurement of band 12 devices only further confirms that the interoperability mandate lacks any factual justification,” Verizon Wireless noted in its filing. “The Cellular South-Samsung alliance shows that the intensely competitive wireless market is driving carriers and equipment manufacturers to provide consumers and businesses with increasing choices to meet their wireless broadband needs.”
Verizon Wireless’ LTE network, which is set to launch on Dec. 5, uses 700 MHz band 13 spectrum that the carrier has notified device makers was the only spectrum band devices it planned to use needed to support. The carrier did note that it was up to the device maker as to whether it wanted to support additional bands. AT&T Mobility, which has said it plans to begin rolling out LTE services next year, plans to use its 700 MHz band 17 spectrum to support the network.
As part of its filing, Verizon Wireless said it has requested that the FCC dismiss the Good Faith Purchasers Alliance Petition for Rulemaking requiring devices and equipment be compatible with all of the 700 MHz bands.
“Grant of the Petition would be arbitrary and capricious on its face, given that one of its members has demonstrated that its underlying factual premise is incorrect,” the carrier noted.
The RCA responded: “Verizon clearly does not understand the benefits to the consumer of full interoperability. RCA is pleased that Samsung has partnered with Cellular South to find a solution for band class 12; this solution will provide 4G LTE service to rural customers who will not be served by Verizon Wireless or AT&T. However, the consequences of a lack of interoperability still exist – the anti-competitive, anti-consumer reality where roaming will not be technically possible, equipment prices will be unnecessarily high, and nationwide deployment of 4G mobile broadband will be needlessly delayed. … RCA continues to push the FCC to grant the Good Faith Purchaser’s petition. There is a small window of opportunity to solve the interoperability issue. With carriers currently deploying LTE service, every day that passes exacerbates the problem. Commission delay on the Good Faith Purchaser’s Petition will help to increase the largest carriers’ dominance in an already consolidated market at the expense of rural carriers and the consumers they serve.”