Investing in Regulation Rather than Networks

In the last couple weeks, in a series of meetings with the Federal Communications Commission, T-Mobile continued its on-going campaign for rate regulation of roaming services. T-Mobile frames its argument as a request for clarification. But make no mistake -- T-Mobile is not seeking a clarification of the FCC’s 2011 Data Roaming Rules. It is instead seeking radical changes in those rules that would gut the balance the FCC struck between ensuring the availability of commercially reasonable data roaming services while maintaining incentives for carriers to build out their networks. AT&T’s previously filed opposition demonstrates in no uncertain terms that the data roaming market is functioning well.