CCA Commends Senator Kohl on His Letter to the DOJ and FCC, Citing “Serious Competitive Concerns”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                      Contact: Lucy Tutwiler
May 24, 2012                                                                                                                                                 (202) 449-9866

CCA Commends Senator Kohl on His Letter to the DOJ and FCC, Citing “Serious Competitive Concerns”

Washington, DC – Today, Senator Kohl, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, sent a letter to Department of Justice (DOJ) Attorney General Eric Holder, and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski regarding the pending transactions between Verizon Wireless, SpectrumCo, and Cox.  CCA – The Competitive Carriers Association commends Senator Kohl for his letter and continues to call on DOJ and FCC to condition these transactions as CCA has petitioned to address the “serious competitive concerns” mentioned by Senator Kohl. 

Responding to the letter, CCA President & CEO Steven K. Berry said, “We’d like to thank Senator Kohl for his astute observations of potential competitive harm this proposed transfer of license will have, and appreciate his thorough and thoughtful review.  Senator Kohl is right – the FCC and DOJ must review the deal with utmost scrutiny and address the competitive concerns.”

“Senator Kohl raises several of the most striking concerns that, absent conditions, could bring harm to the competitive telecom industry and cement the emerging duopoly in the wireless market.  I encourage the DOJ and the FCC to heed Senator Kohl’s call for appropriate spectrum divestitures under a properly revised spectrum screen.  Vigilance is indeed necessary to restore a competitive wireless market and such divestiture, coupled with conditions to support competition regarding devices, roaming, and special access services must be addressed as the review goes forward.”

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 more than 100 members covers 95 percent of the nation.