Verizon says FCC can't ignore Sprint's 2.5 GHz licenses in spectrum screen

Verizon Wireless took Sprint to task over the fact that the vast trove of 2.5 GHz spectrum Sprint acquired from Clearwire is not currently included in the Federal Communication Commission's "spectrum screen." If the spectrum were included, Verizon argues, Sprint would be counted as having more spectrum than any other carrier.

Verizon's arguments, made in a recent FCC filing, are not new, and they are part of what has been an ongoing debate between the wireless carriers--largely with Verizon and AT&T Mobility on one side and Sprint and T-Mobile US on the other. The debate centers on whether the FCC should redesign its spectrum screen, which the commission uses when reviewing spectrum transactions. If a carrier acquires too much spectrum and violates the screen, the deal is more closely scrutinized. Currently, the screen is different for each proposed transaction. Such a screen could have significant implications for the FCC's upcoming spectrum auctions. Sprint operates more than LTE 5,000 cell sites on its 2.5 GHz spectrum, and plans to expand its 2.5 GHz LTE coverage to 100 million POPs by year-end as part of its tri-band "Sprint Spark" LTE service. Sprint has said it owns around 120 MHz of 2.5 GHz spectrum in 90 percent of the top 100 US markets.