BIG WIRELESS REARS UP AGAINST ACCUSATIONS IT'S NOT COMPETITIVE

摘要

AT&T, Verizon Wireless and the CTIA went on the attack against the Consumer Federation of America and "like-minded groups" in reply comments on a notice of inquiry about the FCC's report on mobile-wireless competition. The Federation "never tries to answer the question" it raises ? whether wireless is competitive enough -- "and for good reason," AT&T said. "The industry certainly is 'competitive enough' to deliver unprecedented levels of investment -- upwards of $20 billion this year alone, at a time when other industries are dramatically scaling back. It is 'competitive enough' for device manufacturers to team with providers to develop strikingly innovative smartphones that in turn drive broadband penetration and necessitate still more network investment." nn" It is 'competitive enough' to generate record numbers of subscribers (more than 270 million and counting) and usage (in 2008, approximately seven billion minutes of use and 3.5 billion text messages, every single day)," AT&T continued. "It is 'competitive enough' to generate near weekly price wars that cause investors heartburn even as they save consumers millions." Verizon Wireless said the FCC needs to separate "facts and data from bald assertions and empty rhetoric" from industry critics. "What emerges from a data-driven assessment of the record is a remarkable picture of a dynamic U.S. industry sector -- a hotly contested mobile wireless market teeming with innovation and investment," the carrier said. "For American wireless consumers, these are the 'best of times.' Consumers enjoy a range of choices, with multiple providers offering diverse service plans reflecting intensive price and non-price competition."