PUBLIC NOTICE
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th St., S.W.
News Media Information 202 / 418-0500
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
Washington, D.C. 20554
TTY: 1-888-835-5322
DA 12-1389
Released: August 23, 2012
DOCKET ESTABLISHED FOR MONITORING THE RECENT
VERIZON WIRELESS TRANSACTIONS
WC Docket No. 12-234
On August 22, 2012, the Commission approved with conditions the assignment of spectrum
licenses to and from Verizon Wireless arising from several interrelated transactions.1 These included the
assignment of AWS-1 spectrum licenses from Leap to Verizon Wireless, the assignment of AWS-1
spectrum licenses from Verizon to T-Mobile, and the assignment of AWS-1 licenses from SpectrumCo
and Cox (Cable Companies) to Verizon Wireless.2 The spectrum assignment from the Cable Companies
to Verizon Wireless was part of a larger transaction between Verizon Wireless and the Cable Companies
(“Verizon-Cable Transaction”), which also included commercial arrangements under which: (1) Verizon
Wireless and the cable operators act as sales agents of one another’s services; (2) each of the cable
operators may become resellers of Verizon Wireless’s services; and (3) the parties (other than Cox),
through a joint venture, may seek to develop ways to integrate wireline and wireless services
(collectively, “the Commercial Agreements”).3 As part of its approval, the Commission noted that
Verizon Communications Inc. and Verizon Wireless agreed to comply with a number of conditions,
including the assignment of spectrum licenses to T-Mobile, build-out requirements, roaming
requirements, and monitoring and reporting requirements.4
In addition, to assist in monitoring any effects the Commercial Agreements have on the
marketplace and on the development of emerging product markets, the Order directed the Wireline
Competition Bureau to open a docket “for the public to file complaints or petitions alleging that the
parties are acting in violation of the conditions imposed by this order or engaging in anti-competitive
conduct relating to this transaction that implicates the public interest or otherwise violates the Act or
Commission rules.”5 By this Public Notice, we are informing the public that
WC Docket No. 12-234
has
been established for this purpose.
Pleadings may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS).6 All
pleadings should reference
WC Docket No. 12-234
.
1
Applications of Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless and SpectrumCo LLC and Cox TMI, LLC For Consent
To Assign AWS-1 Licenses; Applications of Verizon Wireless and Leap for Consent To Exchange Lower 700 MHz,
AWS-1, and PCS Licenses; Applications of T-Mobile License LLC and Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless
for Consent to Assign Licenses, WT Docket Nos. 12-4, 12-175, ULS File Nos. 0004942973, 0004942992,
0004952444, 0004949596, and 0004949598, Memorandum Opinion and Order and Declaratory Ruling, FCC 12-95
(2012).
2
Id. at para. 1. The term “Cable Companies” includes the remaining members of SpectrumCo LLC – Comcast
Corp., Time Warner Cable, Inc., and Bright House Networks, LLC – as well as Cox Communications, Inc.
3
Id. at para. 1.
4
Id. at paras. 5, 121, 154–55, & app. D (Reporting Requirements).
5
Id. at para. 145;
see also id. at paras. 154, 169.
6
See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998).
§
Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the
ECFS:
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/ .
§
Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each
filing. If more than one docket or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding,
filers must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or rulemaking number.
Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first-
class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission’s
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
§
All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary
must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 445 12th St., SW, Room TW-A325,
Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries
must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be
disposed of before entering the building.
§
Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority
Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743.
§
U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12th
Street, SW, Washington DC 20554.
People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities
(braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to
fcc504@fcc.gov or call the
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (tty).
The proceeding this Notice initiates shall be treated as a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in
accordance with the Commission’s
ex parte rules.7 Persons making
ex parte presentations must file a
copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two
business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies).
Persons making oral
ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation
must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the
ex parte
presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the
presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments
already reflected in the presenter’s written comments, memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the
presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or
other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be
found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission
staff during
ex parte meetings are deemed to be written
ex parte presentations and must be filed
consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has
made available a method of electronic filing, written
ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing
oral
ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment
filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (
e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt,
searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding should familiarize themselves with the Commission’s
ex
parte rules.
For further information, contact Claude Aiken or Christopher Sova, Competition Policy
Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, (202) 418-1580.
- FCC -
7 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.1200
et seq.
