Groups Ask FCC to Keep Clock Stopped on Verizon/Cable Deal

Public Knowledge and the Rural Telecommunications Group have
asked the FCC for more time -- until July 24 -- to comment on the impact of the
proposed Verizon–T-Mobile spectrum license exchange on Verizon's proposed
purchase of spectrum from cable operators.

The FCC last week agreed to stop the clock on its vetting of
the Verizon–SpectrumCo cable spectrum deal until July 10 to allow for comment,
also due July 10, but PK and the rural group say they need until July 24 and
want both the deadline for comment and the clock-stoppage extended.

They argue in a motion for extension of time that the July 4 holiday has made it more difficult to meet that July 19
deadline. They also say that moving the deadline will allow them to respond to
any relevant info in Verizon and T-Mobile's oppositions to petitions to deny
their spectrum swap, which are due July 17.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.