NCTA Statement on the Department of Justice Closing Its Investigation of the T-Mobile and UScellular Merger

"NCTA appreciates today's statement from the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice highlighting the increasing dominance of the Big 3 mobile carriers in markets for licensed wireless spectrum and making clear that '[w]e stand at a pivotal moment for the wireless industry … [where] the Big 3 account for more than 90 percent of the roughly 335 million mobile subscriptions in the United States.' While cable broadband providers are aggressively investing to deliver real mobile competition, cost savings, and other benefits to millions of wireless consumers, the Big 3 are continuing their desperate attempts to thwart this new competition through aggressive spectrum stockpiling strategies. As policymakers work to promote a vibrant wireless marketplace for all Americans and small businesses, it will be increasingly important for our country to adopt policies 'promoting economic opportunity and competition' and 'avoiding excessive concentration of licenses…' as the Communications Act instructs."