Americans in all corners of the nation depend on mobile broadband for a variety of needs, including staying informed about important news, connecting with family and friends, and being entertained on the go. But in a new op-ed in Morning Consult, Womble Bond Dickinson attorney Carri Bennet and Public Knowledge Senior Policy Counsel Phillip Berenbroick write that consumer access to mobile broadband is threatened by the proposed Sprint/T-Mobile merger.
"If allowed to proceed as proposed, this merger will condense the market to just three national carriers, leading to higher prices, foreclosing the entrance of new competitors and eliminating jobs," they write.
Bennet, who serves as General Counsel to the Rural Wireless Association, and Berenbroick say the impact of the merger will particularly impact lower-income customers who use pre-paid wireless services. They also say the proposed merger will not help—and could harm—rural customers. They encourage the Justice Department and FCC to reject the merger.
"The bottom line is that this merger will mean higher prices and less choice for consumers nationwide, and the foreclosure of new competitive choices emerging in the future. It will cost American jobs, and it will fail to deliver the promised benefits of accelerated 5G deployment or improved rural service," Bennet and Berenbroick write.
Carri Bennet has more than three decades of experience representing wireline, wireless and broadband communications providers, as well as commercial and noncommercial broadcasters, in regulatory compliance matters. She has a particular focus on advocating for small rural carriers, including serving as General Counsel to the Rural Wireless Association. Bennet represents telecom industry clients before the FCC, state regulatory agencies, the courts, and Congress.
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