Subscribe to Dollars & Sense magazine. Recent articles related to the financial crisis. More Telecoms Regulation?Let's hope the administration's regulators are more aggressive in pursuing this hated quartet than they have been regarding certain financial institutions....From today's Financial Times:Watchdog to query 'big four' mobile phone set-up By Paul Taylor in New York Financial Times Published: August 28 2009 03:00 | Last updated: August 28 2009 03:00 US regulators launched a broad assault on the US mobile phone industry yesterday, announcing an investigation of competition in a sector dominated by the "big four" wireless network operators--AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel and Deutsch Telekom's T-Mobile USA unit. The Federal Communications Commission, now controlled by the Democrats, voted five-to-one to pursue the inquiry. It is being taken as a further indication the Obama administration is to step up its scrutiny of antitrust matters. Consumer advocates and smaller mobile network operators have complained the wave of consolidation in the US mobile industry during this decade has damaged competition and put too much power in the hands of the big four national operators. Among the issues likely to be considered are whether large companies such as AT&T and Verizon Wireless thwart competition by charging high fees to connect smaller rivals' calls over their networks, and for use of lines that carry data for wireless internet services. The inquiry will look "broadly at all of the elements that affect what we understand to be the mobile marketplace," said Julius Genachowski, FCC chairman. The Democrat was presiding over his second monthly meeting since taking office in June as President Barack Obama's choice to run the agency that regulates television, radio and telephones Read the rest of the article Labels: AT and T, FCC, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, telecom industry, Verizon Please consider donating to Dollars & Sense and/or subscribing to the magazine (both print and e-subscriptions now available!). |
