NTCA Opposes T-Mobile/Sprint at FCC; Altice Raises Concerns
NTCA officials discussed their opposition to the T-Mobile/Sprint deal and support for making more 2.5 GHz spectrum available for licensed use, during meetings with aides to FCC Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Brendan Carr, said a filing posted Friday in docket…
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18-97. “NTCA expressed its doubts about the New T-Mobile fulfilling its promises to offer 5G service to rural America and how the deal would likely result in a loss of rural service.” It discussed “relationships its members have with Sprint for roaming and spectrum leasing” and said “T-Mobile has not been a willing partner in many rural areas.” Representatives of cable operator Altice said they met the FCC's T-Mobile/Sprint transaction team. “Altice discussed its spectrum strategy in detail,” the company said: “Altice emphasized that the proposed merger limits entry by new sources of retail wireless competition by eliminating the only real source of competition in the wholesale market today -- the competition between Sprint and T-Mobile.”