On October 2, the FCC consented to the applications filed in connection with the proposed acquisition of Midwest Wireless Holdings, LLC (“Midwest Wireless”) by ALLTEL Communications, Inc. (“ALLTEL”), subject to certain conditions. ALLTEL provides wireless communications services to approximately 11 million wireless customers in 35 states. Midwest Wireless is a…
On September 27, five major cable companies asked the FCC for conditions on AT&T’s merger with BellSouth to ensure that the combined phone giants cannot discriminate against cable’s competing digital-phone service. The cable companies seeking these conditions were Advance/Newhouse Communications, Charter Communications, Cablevision Systems, Cox Communications and Insight Communications. Each…
On September 25, the FCC adopted its Eleventh Annual Report to Congress on the state of competition in the mobile telephone – or Commercial Mobile Radio Services (“CMRS”) – industry. This report examines the conditions prevailing in the CMRS marketplace in 2005. The FCC concluded that there is effective competition…
On September 19, the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously reported on the nomination of FCC Chairman Kevin Martin for a second five-year term. Martin was approved following an off-the-floor markup held after the first vote on the Senate floor. According to Commerce Committee spokesman Joe Brenckle, the only senator to miss…
The FCC’s first auction of Advanced Wireless Service (“AWS”) spectrum licenses ended on September 18. A total of 1,122 licenses were offered in the auction, and 104 bidders won 1,087 licenses. The AWS licenses can be used to provide any of a wide array of innovative wireless services and technologies,…
Newly appointed FCC member Robert McDowell supports agency involvement to ensure that phone companies can enter local cable-TV markets without having to overcome a lot of red tape. On August 8, during his first meeting with reporters at FCC headquarters, McDowell said “I do think we can do a lot…
On August 7, the FCC reaffirmed its ruling that Time Warner Cable (“Time Warner”) had to carry the NFL Network for 30 days on systems just acquired from Comcast and Adelphia Communications. On August 4, Time Warner threatened to take the FCC to court if the agency did not back…
On July 28, the FCC issued a public notice in which its Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (“Bureau”) identifies 168 applicants found to be qualified to bid in the upcoming auction of Advanced Wireless Services licenses in the 1710-1755 MHz and 2110-2155 MHz bands (“AWS-1”) (Auction No. 66). Bidding in Auction No.…
Canadian telemarketers settled Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) charges on July 26 that they fraudulently marketed and sold credit card loss protection and healthcare discount plans to U.S. consumers in violation of federal law. Their telemarketing boiler rooms were shut down, and they will pay $200,000 in consumer redress as part…
On July 14, a federal judge said he wants to examine internal FCC documents regarding two large recent telephone company mergers to see if the Justice Department protected market competition in approving the buyouts. U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan’s review concerns the now-completed mergers of SBC Communications Inc.…