Verizon official: merger must not be pretext to regulate

Verizon's top policy executive Tom Tauke is concerned that federal regulators could use AT&T's merger with T-Mobile as a pretext for the government to create new regulations.

Verizon does not have a position for or against the merger, but feels strongly the government must not use the transaction as an excuse to introduce onerous new mandates on industry, he said. "We do not want the government to use this transaction as a vehicle for government management of the marketplace," he said. The Federal Communications Commission should also refrain from adding merger conditions that are not related to the transaction or that would otherwise require a rulemaking process, Tauke said, calling that a "perversion of the process." Tauke said it is important Capitol Hill and the FCC maintain a strong focus on freeing up more spectrum.