FCC pauses T-Mobile-Sprint merger shot-clock

The FCC paused its T-Mobile-Sprint merger review shot-clock. The FCC keeps an informal 180-day review timeline to give the public a rough sense of the progress of the merger. “Additional time is necessary to allow for thorough staff and third-party review of newly-submitted and anticipated modeling relied on by the Applicants,” the Commission wrote.

The pause comes as the merger faces significant opposition from broad spectrum of stakeholders. Public and consumer interest groups -- including Free Press, Common Cause, Consumers Union, Public Knowledge, the Open Technology Institute, and others -- submitted comments opposing the merger, as well as Altice, DISH, and the Rural Wireless Association. CWA also filed extensive comments warning that the T-Mobile-Sprint merger will cost 28,000 jobs and arguing that it should be opposed as currently structured.

Links:

FCC letter to T-Mobile, Sprint pausing merger review shot-clock (FCC, Sept. 11, 2018)

FCC pauses review of T-Mobile, Sprint merger (Reuters, Sept, 11, 2018)

Opposition to T-Mobile-Sprint merger builds (Speed Matters, Sept. 4, 2018)

Petition to Deny of Free Press (Free Press, Aug. 27, 2018)

Petition to Deny of Common Cause, Consumers Union, New America’s Open Technology Institute, Public Knowledge, and Writers Guild of America, West, Inc. (Common Cause et al., Aug. 27, 2018)

Altice, Dish, RWA all oppose Sprint/T-Mobile US merger (RCR Wireless, Aug. 29, 2018)

CWA to FCC: Proposed T-Mobile-Sprint merger will cost 28,000 jobs, should be opposed as currently structured (Speed Matters, Aug. 28, 2018)