Annual FCC Report Concludes U.S. Wireless Marketplace is Competitive and Consumer-Friendly
February 5, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC – CTIA-The Wireless Association® President and CEO, Steve Largent, today hailed the latest findings from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the Twelfth Annual Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) Competition Report released yesterday. The report demonstrates that the competitive U.S. wireless marketplace continues to offer consumers more choices and better services at lower prices.
“I commend the Commissioners and FCC staffers for their hard work in this effort and for recognizing once again that the wireless industry is the most competitive sector of telecommunications,” said Largent. “The wireless industry is proud of its good report card when it comes to delivering the lowest prices, most choices, and innovative new services to consumers across America.”
“Wireless is a great success story by all accounts, and it’s important to not lose sight of the need to continue protecting and preserving the advances of wireless,” continued Largent. “As long as regulators recognize our success is based on market forces, not costly government regulations, the industry will operate effectively in this competitive market in order to serve consumers well. Wireless has proven time and time again that market competition is the best regulator for the industry. Let’s allow it to continue working for consumers.”
The Twelfth Annual CMRS Competition Report noted:
• Approximately 280 million people, or 99.8 percent of the U.S. population, have one or more different operators offering mobile telephone service in the census blocks in which they live.
• More than 95 percent of the U.S. population lives in areas with at least three mobile telephone operators competing to offer service.
• More than half of the U.S. population lives in areas with at least five competing mobile telephone operators.
• Approximately 99.3 percent of the U.S. population living in rural counties, or 60.6 million people, have one or more different operators offering mobile telephone service in the census blocks within the rural counties in which they live.
• Approximately 82 percent of the U.S. population lives in census blocks with at least one mobile broadband provider offering service.
To view the full report, please click on the following link: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-28A1.pdf.
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CTIA is the international association for the wireless telecommunications industry,
representing carriers, manufacturers and wireless Internet providers.
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