Verizon touts telecom competitiveness; Sprint, T-Mobile disagree

As speculation of a merger between Sprint and T-Mobile US ambiguously lingers, the companies' largest competitor testified that the telecom industry is a model for vibrant competition.

Randal Milch, Verizon Wireless' executive vice president and general counsel, asserted during a congressional antitrust hearing that the industry's dynamism is in part a result of regulators' light touch. The unobtrusive approach, he said, encourages robust rivalries that offer Americans more options. "The beneficiaries of this remarkable marketplace are US wireless consumers, who have a wide range of choices in networks," Milch said during the Senate Judiciary Committee's Antitrust Subcommittee hearing on competitiveness in the wireless market. "Our US wireless market stands as a global leader in innovation and choice, and is a key driver for national economic growth and maintaining America's competitive edge in the global economy." Although Verizon maintained that the industry's status quo is generally good, Sprint has argued that the industry and consumers would benefit from greater consolidation. Kathleen O'Brien Ham, T-Mobile's vice president of federal regulatory affairs, said market domination by Verizon and AT&T is bad for consumers.