@jbtaylor on tech

I'm a spokesman for Sprint. This personal site is where I share news stories and my views about our company, our phones and other devices. I also write a bit about tech policy, the wireless industry and life in Washington, D.C.

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T-Mobile Customers Mobilize, as May 31 FCC Deadline Looms

I've worked in Washington on and off for a long time. Regardless of where they stand on the ideological spectrum, I assure you, politicians of all stripes respond to real people weighing in on a public policy issue. Washington is filled with political consultants who, for a price, will organize fake grassroots efforts to generate calls to Congress and the like.

These efforts may be effective, but honestly in my view, politicians pay more attention the real thing.

It's been only a few days since the FCC announced that the public had until May 31 to make its views known about AT&T's takeover of T-Mobile, but already several efforts have launched across the Internet which ask readers to file formal comments at the FCC in the docket.

From what I can tell, these efforts are organic and not manufactured by consumer groups or others opposed to this transaction. Here's a sample of blog headlines:

Consumers are responding.

Last night, Communications Daily, a trade publication focused on the FCC, wrote in their lead story that the Commission, "is starting to get some "grassroots" push back against AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile, with several dozen consumers filing short statements in recent days."

You can check these comments out for yourself here. As of this writing, over 100 real people have weighed in.

If you want to join them and file your own comments, you have until May 31. In this blog post, I explain step-by-step how to do that. (The FCC doesn't make it easy, but I've tried to.)

 

AT&T's PR Shop must be Frustrated

Media_httpstaticarste_bratd
via arstechnica.com

Poor AT&T.

In planning for their takeover of T-Mobile, their PR team wants to spin you the story that the only people opposed to them swallowing up T-Mobile are the folks like me who work for Sprint.

If they can convince you that this is really a dispute between AT&T and Sprint, then why should you care? After all, what consumer really cares about two big companies fighting?

The problem for AT&T is that every major consumer advocacy group is opposed to the takeover. So are nation's rural wireless carriers. So are T-Mobile's customers. And that's just not what AT&T planned for.

The story I've linked to above is an important one because it shows how desperate AT&T is to fool you.

AT&T is trying to pull a fast one on regulators and grab spectrum from Qualcomm in a separate FCC proceeding. The consumer watchdogs are having none of that. They are insisting that the FCC reject AT&T's bid to buy the Qualcomm spectrum and barring that, they want the Qualcomm matter to be considered as part of the regulatory review of the T-Mobile takeover.

That seems pretty reasonable to me.

Why should either proceeding be considered in a vacuum?

AT&T: T-Mobile sucks (and we'd like to buy it for $39 billion)

Media_httpstaticarste_shpmo
via arstechnica.com

Last week AT&T filed a formal application at the FCC seeking approval to takeover T-Mobile. If you read one story about this regulatory milestone, read the one I've linked to above from Ars Technica.

Writer Nate Anderson points out how AT&T regulatory attorneys (i.e. FCC lobbyists) spend the entire document trashing T-Mobile and talking up all the competitors they are afraid of, like Cricket and Metro PCS. (I am not making this up.)

Apparently AT&T is really scared of Sprint -- they can't say enough nice things about us. They love us so much, it led two Washington Post reporters to claim that an AT&T lobbyist -- I mean, regulatory attorney -- was starting to sound like a Sprint spokesperson.

Wait a minute. That's MY job.

Maybe the AT&T lobbyist -- I mean regulatory attorney -- really wants my job instead of the one she has. Do you think she knows what kind of pay cut she'd have to take if she left AT&T for Sprint?

Hmm.

Sprint Statement on AT&T Request for FCC Approval of T-Mobile Takeover

And so it begins. Today AT&T filed a formal application to the FCC requesting approval of its bid to takeover T-Mobile. Sprint's Senior Vice President for Government Affairs, Vonya B. McCann issued the following statement:

“Today’s filing only reinforces the significant risks presented by AT&T’s proposed acquisition on the U.S. consumer and the wireless industry overall. It is an indisputable fact that this takeover would create an entrenched duopoly with control of approximately 80% of wireless industry revenues. This kind of leverage could strangle competition and give AT&T the power to increase prices, threaten innovation critical to this industry and eliminate American jobs. 

 

We are confident that when the FCC examines the record that will be built in this docket, they will conclude that AT&T’s attempt to acquire T-Mobile should be rejected outright. This proposed takeover cannot be fixed with conditions or divestitures. We believe the facts and the law dictate that this transaction must be blocked, and are confident that the Department of Justice and FCC will determine that this takeover is not in the interest of the American public.” 

 

 

The T's in AT&T don't stand for "Telling the Truth"

Media_httpblogsimages_epegf
via blogs.forbes.com

I hope you read the entire post from Forbes today which I've linked to above. It will give you an idea of what consumers are up against when they take on AT&T.

Today, I held a conference call with reporters where I set the record straight about AT&T's false statements concerning remarks made by our CEO at Sprint, Dan Hesse.

AT&T's top lobbyist deliberately misquoted Dan and his remarks on the state of competition in wireless. He cherry-picked quotes and removed all the context which would have clearly communicated what Dan actually said.

It's the kind of sleazy politics that turn consumers off from everything that happens in Washington, D.C. and state capitals across the country.

Rather than fess up to their distortions when confronted, AT&T just repeated the lies to media in response to our conference call setting the record straight.

They insist that removing T-Mobile from the marketplace won't make it any less competitive. And they insist that it's perfectly appropriate to mislead consumers and media about what the public record actually says.

It's laughable, except I'm not laughing; because if AT&T wins its bid to takeover T-Mobile, every consumer in America loses. There will be less choice and higher prices for cell phones.

I promise.

That's why you need to stand up and fight back. Here's how you can help.

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