FCC Extends Shot Clock On Verizon Wireless/MSO Spectrum Deals By 21 Days Wireless Bureau Cites 'Deficiencies' in Document Production by Applicants
By Todd Spangler Multichannel News 5/1/2012 8:04:27 PM http://www.multichannel.com/article/483908-FCC_Extends_Shot_Clock_On_Verizon_Wireless_MSO_Spectrum_Deals_By_21_Days.php The Federal Communications Commission's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau on Tuesday extended its review period of the proposed spectrum deals among Verizon Wireless and four cable operators by 21 days, citing "deficiencies" in document production by the parties. According to the bureau, Verizon Wireless and the operators -- Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Bright House Networks -- had not completed a "responsive production" of documents by March 22 and said more than half of their total documents were submitted after April 19. In December 2011, Comcast, TWC and Bright House announced an agreement to sell Verizon Wireless their Advanced Wireless Services spectrum holdings for $3.6 billion. In addition, the operators and wireless carrier said they would sell each other's services in select areas. Cox Communications subsequently entered into a similar arrangement with Verizon Wireless, proposing to sell its AWS spectrum holdings for $315 million. The FCC is currently on day 103 of its review of the spectrum deals, but the so-called "shot clock" is informal and the commission has often gone beyond the 180-day target. The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau said it did not anticipate any further extension of the 180-day period "assuming the adequacy of the current productions in response to the requests." The wireless bureau said the "untimely productions" by Verizon Wireless and the MSOs had delayed FCC staff review by at least three weeks. "To account for this delay, we are extending the Commission's informal 180-day transaction review period by 21 days," it said. According to the bureau, Verizon Wireless responded to the document requests with a production of approximately 4,000 documents as of April 5. But "in light of deficiencies commission staff identified in that initial production, the company's response grew to more than 50,000 documents as of April 27," the wireless bureau said. "Cox and Bright House Networks did not submit the great majority of responsive documents in proper form until April 24." Last week, several parties -- including Sprint Nextel, DirecTV, the Communications Workers of America and public-advocacy groups critical of the proposed Verizon Wireless/MSO deals -- asked the FCC to halt its review process. They cited problems opening some of the documents filed by Verizon and cable operators, a charge the carrier and the MSOs said lacked merit. Meanwhile, Verizon Wireless, Comcast and Time Warner Cable have already initiated co-marketing programs in certain markets that offer incentives to subscribers who take services from both the wireless carrier and the MSOs. The companies say those deals are separate from the proposed AWS spectrum sales. _______________________________________________ Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
