CCA Urges Senate Judiciary Subcommittee to Ensure a Competitive Wireless Industry by Opposing the AT&T/T-Mobile Acquisition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lucy Tutwiler
May 10, 2011 (202) 449-9866
CCA Urges Senate Judiciary Subcommittee to Ensure a Competitive Wireless Industry by Opposing the AT&T/T-Mobile Acquisition
Washington, DC – Tomorrow, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights will hold a hearing, “The AT&T/T-Mobile Merger: Is Humpty Dumpty Being Put Back Together Again?” Hu Meena, President & CEO of Cellular South, and CCA’s Chairman of the Board, will testify before the Subcommittee on the negative impacts the proposed acquisition will have on the wireless industry and competitive carriers. CCA opposes the AT&T/T-Mobile acquisition and urges the Subcommittee to consider consumers and the importance of a competitive, innovative industry during tomorrow’s hearing.
In a statement regarding the hearing, CCA President & CEO Steven K. Berry said, “I am glad the Subcommittee is holding a hearing on this important matter and that the voice of competitive carriers will be heard through Hu Meena’s testimony. The proposed AT&T/T-Mobile acquisition not only is bad for consumers, jobs, competition and the economy, but it is especially bad for competitive carriers. An AT&T takeover of T-Mobile will lead to a GSM technology monopoly and a wireless industry duopoly in the U.S. Any smaller GSM carrier looking for roaming and partnership agreements will have only one option and will be forced to pay monopoly prices.”
Berry continued, “Additionally, the proposed merger will do nothing to benefit consumers in rural areas. Despite AT&T’s claims that the acquisition will benefit unserved and underserved areas, the fact is that T-Mobile does not serve these customers and does not have the low band spectrum needed to serve these areas. AT&T could build out rural America without this deal, at a much lower cost point, if AT&T wanted to do so. I strongly urge the Subcommittee to listen closely to tomorrow’s testimony to see the real threat facing competitive carriers and the lack of benefits for consumers this acquisition will bring to the wireless industry.”
About CCA
CCA is the nation’s leading association for competitive wireless providers serving rural and regional areas of the United States. The licensed service area of CCA’s nearly 100 members covers more than 80 percent of the nation.
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