Boston Mayor Pitches Attorneys General on Opposing Verizon/SpectrumCo

In a letter this week to Attorney General Eric Holder, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said the city believes that Verizon's proposed purchase of wireless spectrum from cable operators and associated cross-marketing agreements are anticompetitive, not in the public interest and unlawful.

In a separate letter, he asked Massachusetts attorney general Martha Coakley to oppose the transaction as well. Boston already filed comments opposing the deal, but in the letter to AG Holder emphasizes that Mayor Menino is concerned the deal will mean that Verizon and Comcast will "never compete" in Boston, "thereby effectively depriving our community, citizens, small businesses, schools, hospitals and educational facilities the benefits of video and broadband competition." To allow the deal, said Menino, would be to leave Boston "permanently on the wrong side of the digital divide."