CWA APPLAUDS REPS. WAXMAN AND ESHOO FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP IN HOLDING TELECOM GIANTS ACCOUNTABLE

WASHINGTON - The Communications Workers of America (CWA) applauds Rep. Henry Waxman and Rep. Anna Eshoo for their leadership in protecting consumers and promoting healthy competition in the telecom industry. In a letter delivered today to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Representatives urged Chairman Upton and Chairman Waldman to hold hearings on the transactions involving Verizon Wireless' proposed acquisition of spectrum from telecom giants Comcast, Time Warner and Bright House Networks, warning of 'potential harms' including 'further concentration in the wireless industry and disincentives for competition between wire line and wireless broadband.'

Their voices join a growing number of elected leaders, consumer advocates, civil rights organizations and wireless consumers concerned about collusion between the telecom giants, which would enable them to jointly market each other's products, eliminating competition, raising prices, reducing consumer choice, and hampering the advancement and expansion of new technology. The need for a House Commerce Committee hearing is especially important in light of the fact that Verizon Wireless and the cable companies have tried to keep key aspects of the transaction from public scrutiny. CWA, public interest organizations, and industry groups have asked the FCC to stop the clock on merger review pending full disclosure of requested documents. CWA, representing over 700,000 men and women in telecommunications and other industries, supports the call for hearings to increase transparency and enable the public to learn of the implications of the telecom deal.

###

Contact: Chuck Porcari or Liz Schilling, CWA Communications 202-434-1168, porcari@cwa-union.org or eschilling@cwa-union.org