T-Mobile Charts Show Weak Low-Band Spectrum Position Relative to Verizon, AT&T
T-Mobile USA Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray sent a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler urging the agency to tweak its rules for the TV incentive auction to set aside in every market at least 40 MHz of reserve spectrum…
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for carriers without a dominant low-band spectrum position in that market. Rules approved by the agency last year set aside 30 MHz. Ray offered national charts showing T-Mobile’s weak low-band spectrum position relative to AT&T and Verizon. “Without a reserve of at least 40 megahertz, AT&T and Verizon will be able to increase their low-band spectrum holdings, entrench their dominant positions in the wireless marketplace, and choke off any threat of competition in the future,” Ray wrote. “Not only are the 'Big Two' the largest in terms of customers, but also they control a disproportionate share of the industry’s revenue and free cash flow. And they have shown that they can and will use their resources to prevent competitors from acquiring needed spectrum.” The letter said that in the AWS-3 auction AT&T and Verizon “foreclosed any meaningful competition from direct competitors by outspending all other facilities-based wireless carriers by more than ten to one.” The filing was posted by the FCC Wednesday in docket 12-269.