FCC Approves AT&T's Purchase of Dobson Communications

FCC APPROVES AT&T'S PURCHASE OF DOBSON COMMUNICATIONS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The Federal Communications Commission approved with conditions the transfer of control of licenses, authorizations, and spectrum leases held by Dobson and its subsidiaries to AT&T. These licenses and authorizations include Cellular licenses, Broadband Personal Communications Service (PCS) licenses, Advanced Wireless Services licenses, Common Carrier Fixed Point-to-Point Microwave licenses, and three international section 214 authorizations. AT&T is required to divest the licenses and related operational and network assets -- including certain employees, retail sites, and subscribers -- of one of the two companies in four markets in order to complete their merger. AT&T is also subject to a condition to have an interim cap on its high-cost, competitive Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) support. This cap, like the cap established as a condition of the ALLTEL-Atlantis transaction, is based on AT&T and Dobson's level of competitive ETC support as of June 2007.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-278210A1.doc

* Copps: "I continue to have concerns about ever-increasing concentration in the wireless sector."
http://www.fcc.gov/DOC-278210A3.pdf

* Adelstein: "[W]hile I appreciate the Commission staff’s analysis of the markets affected by the merger and fully support our decision to require divestiture in the markets identified in our Memorandum Opinion and Order, I am concerned that some markets have fallen through the cracks."
http://www.fcc.gov/DOC-278210A4.pdf

* McDowell: "In today's order, the Commission adds 700 MHz band spectrum to its market screen for spectrum suitable for provision of mobile telephony services. While it is certainly important that we update our analytical tools from time to time, this action is decidedly premature and introduces an unnecessary level of complexity into the Commission's market analyses. I also wonder how the new framework will affect participation in the forthcoming auction of 700 MHz spectrum.... Once again, the Commission raises more questions than it answers, and appears to bind future Commission action, and dictate or bind government policy. I am concerned that we are regulating unnecessarily without thinking through possible unintended consequences. This is especially unfortunate given the critical need for market certainty as we approach the 700 MHz auction."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-278210A2.doc