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US: AT&T wages war with FCC, DOJ

By  |  April 26, 2013

One of the US’s leading wireless carriers, AT&T, has denounced plans by the Federal Communications Commission and the US Department of Justice concerning an auction of airwave licenses, calling the move illegal. In a filing made by the company to the FCC on Thursday, AT&T claimed the plans, which would have the FCC follow advice from the DOJ, is bid-rigging, and favors smaller carriers like Sprint and T-Mobile. AT&T said in its statement that the plans are “so nakedly designed to help specific companies,” and that the plan is “patently unlawful.” Earlier this month, the DOJ suggested the FCC use “rules, weights or caps” to prevent wireless leaders AT&T and Verizon from buying up all the spectrum ahead of smaller rivals Sprint and T-Mobile. According to the DOJ, those potential caps would allow the smaller companies to compete properly to prevent price hikes.

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