CWA: 'No Secret Deals' for Verizon Wireless, Cable Companies

CWA called on the Federal Communications Commission to "stop the clock" on its consideration of the Verizon Wireless/cable company spectrum deal until the parties involved provide complete information about their commercial agreements.

You can make your voice heard too at http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-verizon-wireless-secret-spectrum-deal.

CWA called for the release of complete versions of Joint Marketing Agreements between Verizon Wireless and the four cable companies — Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, and Bright House Networks. The Verizon and cable filings are full of redactions and are missing critical information to enable the FCC to evaluate concerns about competition.

"This is about transparency," said CWA Senior Director George Kohl. "There can be no secret deals related to such an important sale when it comes to pricing, compensation and marketing agreements, simply because the stakes to the consumer are too high."

CWA does not oppose the sale of spectrum. However, to ensure competition, protect consumer choice, and promote job-creating investment, the FCC should set specific conditions on this application.

The joint marketing agreements will give Verizon and the cable companies — through their ability to offer a quad play of voice, video, data and wireless from the top video, broadband, and wireless providers — the market power to harm competition, raise cable and broadband rates and reduce incentives for new video entrants to invest in their networks, leading to significant job loss.

CWA is calling for specific conditions:

• The FCC should require that Verizon continue to offer FiOS broadband Internet access service, expand its in-region deployment to cover at least 95 percent of residences and, following the merger, continue to deploy a set percentage of broadband to rural and low income areas, with timetables, data reporting and penalties for non-compliance.
• The joint marketing arrangements should not be permitted to put other marketers of Verizon Wireless service at a disadvantage. Comparable conditions and terms for the marketing of Verizon Wireless service should be available to all wireline competitors in a market. This will even the playing field among competitors.