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  "description": "The association criticized the bureau for clearing major consolidation efforts without a commission-level vote.\n",
  "path": "/rural-wireless-association-flags-telecom-oligopoly-risk-in-at-t-spectrum-win/",
  "publishedAt": "2025-12-08T23:32:55.000Z",
  "site": "https://broadbandbreakfast.com",
  "tags": [
    "pushed back"
  ],
  "textContent": "WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2025 — The Rural Wireless Association, a trade group for small carriers, pushed back against an FCC staff decision that approved AT&T’s purchase of UScellular spectrum, warning the move tightened control of key airwaves among the nation’s three largest carriers.\n\nThe FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau cleared AT&T’s acquisition of the Lower 700 MegaHertz (MHz) and 3.45 GigaHertz (GHz) licenses from Array Digital Infrastructure, UScellular’s successor entity, on Wednesday, Dec. 3.\n\nRWA said in a Thursday filing that the bureau reused “flawed” competitive findings from an earlier T-Mobile–UScellular order now under review and failed to account for higher roaming costs and reduced access for rural providers.\n\nThe bureau’s order also granted AT&T a waiver of the time-limited 40 megahertz aggregation limit in the 3.45 GHz band in markets where the transaction would otherwise exceed the cap.\n\nThe group said the transfer would accelerate consolidation in the low-band spectrum and deepen what it called a “nationwide carrier oligopoly.” It also criticized the agency for issuing major transaction approvals without a vote by the three sitting commissioners.\n\n“This amounts to the death of mobile wireless competition,” said **Carri Bennet** , RWA’s outside general counsel. She added that consumers should expect higher prices as large carriers lead a “three-way split of the market that kills off any incentive for innovation.”\n\nRWA urged the FCC not to “rubber stamp” the pending UScellular-Verizon and EchoStar-AT&T spectrum deals, arguing the latter should require divestitures to rural and regional carriers.",
  "title": "Rural Wireless Association Flags Telecom Oligopoly Risk in AT&T Spectrum Win",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-07T21:50:57.509Z"
}