AT&T to FCC: Give us spectrum or we'll sue
On the eve of a bipartisan compromise to extend a middle class tax cut and continue unemployment benefits for our friends and neighbors out of work, Politico described AT&T's lobbyists as, "furious" that Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress didn't adopt everything the company wanted in the legislation.
Remember, with AT&T, it's always "my way or the highway" when it comes to public policy.
Missing from what DSL Reports' Karl Bode called a "pout festival" was like-minded Twin Bell Verizon. I'm guessing that top Verizon lobbyist, former Iowa GOP Congressman Tom Tauke and his team realized what Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) said about the compromise over the bill's spectrum provisions was true:
“Did we get every single thing that we wanted? No. No one ever has and I don’t think they ever will, including my children.”
Perhaps AT&T's top lobbyist Jim Cicconi believes that too, but in a statement to media yesterday, he pointed out that there is "an opportunity for a court challenge" if the FCC doesn't give his company all the spectrum it wants.
Lovely.
Before the FCC even opens a docket about the future wireless spectrum auction, AT&T is already threatening a lawsuit if it doesn't get its way.
That sounds like an empty threat to me. The last time AT&T was in court over an effort to obtain more spectrum was when the U.S. Department of Justice and a bi-partisan group of state Attorneys General sued the company over its proposed takeover of T-Mobile.
We all know what happened then.
Rather than fight the government in court, AT&T chose to leave the courtroom and abandon the transaction, rather than stand by its scorched earth rhetoric.
So yesterday's threat from AT&T sounds like more empty saber rattling to me.
Time will tell.
p.s. Once again, please remember that this is my personal blog and may not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.
