AT&T Conduct Should Bar It From Buying DirecTV, Minority Cellular Partners Coalition Says
Representatives of the Minority Cellular Partners Coalition told an aide to FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn that AT&T has engaged in conduct that should bar it from buying DirecTV. AT&T violated Section 222(c)(l) of the Communications Act and Section 1.20003 of…
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the FCC’s rules when it “voluntarily allowed the National Security Agency to have access to telephony and Internet metadata, and telephony and Internet content,” the coalition said. “AT&T has engaged in an established pattern of misconduct and bad behavior. Taken together, these actions should bear upon its qualifications to acquire additional FCC licenses in the proposed acquisition of DirecTV.” The coalition first raised the issue in a March 4 letter to the commission. AT&T said in a recent filing the FCC should give no weight to the charges. The FCC held in the AT&T/BellSouth merger order these very same “allegations are outside the scope of the FCC’s investigative powers,” AT&T said. The filings were in docket 14-90.