U.s. Fcc Votes To Restrict At&t, Verizon In 2015 Spectrum Auction

[Ron Burgundy]

U.S. telecom regulators on Thursday voted to limit how much spectrum Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc will be able to buy in next year's auction of highly valuable wireless airwaves. In a 3-2 vote along party lines, the Federal Communications Commission approved the plan that would reserve part of the spectrum in each market for wireless carriers that do not already have substantial blocks of low-frequency airwaves there, largely restricting Verizon and AT&T participation. "What this rule does is prevent those with current low-band spectrum from monopolizing the market in the auction by assuring that some spectrum will be available for those with insufficient amounts of spectrum to serve rural areas and penetrate buildings," said FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler The FCC also voted 3-2 to expand the so-called spectrum screen, a calculation of what airwaves are usable for wireless, to include more of the airwaves currently controlled by Sprint Corp and Dish Network Corp, among other things.

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