If the FCC favors approval of the AT&T-BellSouth merger, it at le...
If the FCC favors approval of the AT&T-BellSouth merger, it at least should set conditions aimed at guarding consumers, public interest groups said Wed. at a news conference listing their reasons for opposing the merger. Those reasons vary with…
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each body’s membership. The merger “can’t go forward while allegations are pending” about AT&T giving the National Security Agency access to customer records, Barry Steinhardt, dir.-ACLU’s Technology & Liberty Program, said. The FCC must investigate AT&T’s alleged ties to the NSA before approving the merger, he said. Mark Cooper, Consumer Federation of America research dir., said he was worried about “the anticompetitive and anticonsumer impact of the merger” and called for conditions requiring naked DSL, net neutrality and special access that he said would affect consumers’ prices and choices. Answering a question, he said some of those conditions may be imposed, because the agency made similar requirements of previous mergers. The merging partners will have a “tremendous amount of spectrum,” including “warehoused” spectrum new competitors could use, Media Access Project Pres. Andrew Schwartzman said. A proposed order FCC Chmn. Martin is circulating to fellow commissioners calls for approving the merger but doesn’t specify any conditions. Sources at the agency said conditions may be added as a result of expected negotiations between Martin and other commissioners. “There are always those who'll try to use these proceedings to peddle their personal bugaboos,” an AT&T spokesman said: “We're confident the FCC and DoJ recognize the significant public interest and consumer benefits of our merger.”