Groups Urge FCC to Consider 3 UScellular Transactions Together
The Rural Wireless Association, Communications Workers of America and public interest groups asked the FCC to consider spectrum sales between UScellular and the three major wireless carriers together, rather than as separate transactions. “These transactions represent a significant restructuring of the mobile wireless market and effectuate the exit of UScellular as a mobile wireless carrier,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 25-150. The groups met with staff from across the FCC, along with Public Knowledge, New America’s Open Technology Institute and the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.
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UScellular struck a deal a year ago (see 2405280047) to sell spectrum and other wireless assets to T-Mobile, followed by proposed spectrum deals with AT&T and Verizon. The filing also raised concerns that the nationwide wireless carriers “appear to be executing a coordinated strategy to divide UScellular’s assets and customer base amongst themselves.” The three transactions “represent a scheme that would likely violate the antitrust laws were it subject to them,” it said. “The Commission must not allow the piecemeal review of these transactions to hide their collective impact.”
Verizon, meanwhile, filed a response (docket 24-286) to questions from the FCC on its buy of 850 MHz, AWS and PCS licenses from UScellular. All the data was redacted.