By Todd Shields
The Federal Communications Commission’s approval for Verizon Wireless to buy airwaves from cable companies came with conditions that Democrats said would preserve competition and Republicans, while voting to approve the deal, called excessive.
The FCC didn’t have authority to impose requirements for Verizon, the largest U.S. wireless provider, to share airwaves with rivals on commercial terms, Ajit Pai, a Republican commissioner, said in a statement released today as part of the agency’s order unanimously approving the $3.6 billion deal.
Verizon’s agreement to share airwaves, to allow data roaming, serve a core FCC duty to preserve competition, Julius Genachowski, the agency’s Democratic chairman, said in a statement. “The commission makes the right choice today in exercising our responsibilities and taking strong action,”Genachowski said.
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