700MHz aftermath: did the FCC ignore thier own guidelines?

In a recent decision to permit the merger of AT&T and Dobson communications, the FCC raised the limit on the spectrum that a single company can hold in any location to 95Mhz. In the recent 700MHz spectrum auctions, it seems that the FCC has exceeded their own limits again. It’s important to remember that the intent of opening the spectrum was to make wireless and broadband access more competitive. The opposite is the result if the auction results allowed to stand.

Here is the breakdown of US cellular spectrum AFTER the 700 MHz auction:

AT&T or Verizon Wireless exceeds the 95 MHz Dobson threshold in 8 of the top 10 US markets, 17 of the top 25 markets, and 38 of the top 100 markets.Each of those wireless companies separately exceeds the threshold in 5 of the top 10 markets, 10 of the top 25 markets, and in one out of five of the top 100 markets.

TOP 100 MARKETS WHERE AT&T or VERIZON WIRELESS EXCEEDS THE DOBSON 95 MHZ THRESHOLD:

• New York, NY (VZ: 119 MHz)
• Chicago, IL (VZ: 101 MHz)
• Philadelphia, PA (VZ: 99 MHz)
• Boston-Lowell-Brockton-Lawrence-Haverhill, MA-NH (AT&T: 99 MHz, VZ: 97 MHz)
• San Francisco-Oakland, CA (AT&T: 97 MHz)
• Washington, DC-MD-VA (AT&T: 99 MHz, VZ: 109 MHz)
• Dallas-Forth Worth, TX (AT&T: 124 MHz)
• Houston, TX (AT&T: 99 MHz)
• Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, FL (VZ: 96 MHz)
• Baltimore, MD (AT&T: 99 MHz, VZ: 109 MHz)
• Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI (VZ: 99 MHz)
• Atlanta, GA (AT&T: 99 MHz)
• Denver-Boulder, CO (AT&T: 99 MHz)
• Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL (AT&T: 99 MHz)
• Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN (VZ: 111 MHz)
• Kansas City, MO-KS (VZ: 114 MHz)
• Buffalo, NY (AT&T: 119 MHz)
• San Jose, CA (AT&T: 97 MHz)
• Hartford-New Britain-Bristol, CT (AT&T: 109 MHz)
• Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk-Danbury, CT (VZ: 119 MHz)
• Toledo, OH-MI (VZ: 104 MHz)
• New Haven-West Haven-Waterbury-Meriden, CT (VZ: 99 MHz)
• Syracuse, NY (AT&T: 101 MHz)
• Gary-Hammond-East Chicago, IN (AT&T: 99 MHz)
• Northeast Pennsylvania, PA (VZ: 104 MHz)
• Tulsa, OK (AT&T: 99 MHz)
• Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ (VZ: 99 MHz)
• New Brunswick-Perth Amboy-Sayreville, NJ (VZ: 119 MHz)
• Springfield-Chicopee-Holyoke, MA (VZ: 99 MHz)
• Youngstown-Warren, OH (AT&T: 117 MHz)
• Wilmington, DE-NJ-MD (VZ: 99 MHz)
• Long Branch-Asbury Park, NJ (VZ: 119 MHz)
• Raleigh-Durham, NC (VZ: 99 MHz)
• West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL (VZ: 96 MHz)
• Fresno, CA (AT&T: 115 MHz)
• Austin, TX (AT&T: 104 MHz)
• Wichita, KS (AT&T: 97 MHz)
• Las Vegas, NV (AT&T: 99 MHz) (from Viodi)

Anyone who believes that the 700MHz auction resulted in a competitive wireless environment probably believes the tooth fairy is thier sister. This matter requires a public hearing. Unfortunately, the House and Senate have been so well bought off by AT&T or Verizon that such hearings will never see the light of day. After all the House is busy looking into improvements for the capital Visitors Center and financial education (for us, not them, even though they are the ones who need it). With 3% of the Senate AWOL campaigning for the Presidency, they will accomplish even less than usual. It’s doubtful a single Senator would understand any of this anyway.