T-Mobile, CWA Hold Meetings at FCC on T-Mobile/Sprint; Agency Gets State AG Requests

T-Mobile Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray and others from the carrier met FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr on the carrier’s proposed buy of Sprint. The executives discussed the likely effect of the combination over the next two years, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-197. "In each year capacity increases of the merged firm would exceed the combined standalones, throughput increases of the merged firm would exceed the standalones, and the expected net present value of consumer welfare would also increase,” T-Mobile said: “The T-Mobile representatives additionally summarized their discussion with the Transaction Team regarding porting data versus other switching data.” Communications Workers of America said three union members from T-Mobile met Commissioner Geoffrey Starks and had meetings with aides to Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel. They delivered a petition signed by 818 wireless workers, which “expresses the workers’ concerns that the proposed merger … will result in the loss of many American jobs, cuts in wages and commissions, and a corresponding reduction in service quality.” The FCC noted it received requests from four more state attorney general offices seeking access to confidential numbering resource utilization and forecast reports and local number portability data related to their investigations into the transaction. It said they are similar to earlier requests by AG offices in New York and nine other states (see 1808300031 and 1810220052). The federal commission wants to give carriers an opportunity to contact the AG offices in Colorado, Iowa, Maryland and Massachusetts "or to take any other action they may deem appropriate if they have concerns or oppose disclosure," said a public notice Thursday, noting comments or objections shouldn't be sent to the FCC.