FCC Can't Force AT&T to Keep 3G Network Running: FSF

The FCC can’t force AT&T to delay the planned Feb. 22 shutdown of its 3G network (see 2109150041), Free State Foundation Director-Policy Studies Seth Cooper blogged Tuesday. “The FCC lacks legal authority to mandate 3G network delivery of private mobile IoT services,” he said: “Those service offerings are individually negotiated with alarm companies, and they are not subject to common carriage rules.” Any attempt to force AT&T to keep the network open “effectively would rewrite existing contracts between AT&T and alarm companies,” he said. The Alarm Industry Communications Committee, meanwhile, fired back at AT&T’s latest filing on the shutdown (see 2110290058). AT&T “fails once again to refute several key points by AICC regarding the detrimental impact on the public regarding their 3G shut down,” a spokesperson emailed: “AICC does not agree that, in the name of competition, the FCC should allow millions of vulnerable customers, including the elderly and disabled, to lose lifesaving monitoring services. AICC is simply requesting a temporary delay due to the pandemic so that we have the time AT&T originally offered us to upgrade our existing 3G customers.”