Don't Pause Shot Clock, T-Mobile-Sprint Tell FCC
T-Mobile and Sprint said jointly the FCC shouldn’t pause its shot clock on consideration of their proposed deal, as sought last week by Communications Workers of America and others (see 1808170052). “The FCC’s rules and precedent are clear that ‘extensions…
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of time shall not be routinely granted,’” the carriers said in a Monday filing in 18-197. “Here, Movants have demonstrated no legitimate grounds for the relief they request and therefore the Motion should be summarily dismissed or denied. The Applicants submitted the spectrum holdings information about which Movants express concern on June 18, and it has been publicly available for almost two months.” A combined T-Mobile/Sprint would likely exceed AT&T’s share of the U.S. wireless market in five years, Macquarie’s Amy Yong said in a Tuesday note to investors. Yong also sees odds improving that regulators will let the deal move forward. “T-Mobile-Sprint have all the ingredients to eventually lead the industry: scale, spectrum and strategy,” she wrote. “Meanwhile, the combination of 5G infrastructure developments, including rural connectivity as well as job creation, support the deal, in our view.” Yong expects some backlash, possibly including opposition from Dish Networks.