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 STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  KATHLEEN  Q.  ABERNATHY 
 Re:  Applications  of  Nextel  Communications,  Inc.  and  Sprint  Corporation  For  Consent  to  Transfer  Control  of  Licenses  and  Authorizations,  WT  Docket  No.  05- 
 63,  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order,  (adopted  August  3,  2005). 


 Today,  we  inject  a  healthy  and  strengthened  dose  of  intermodal  competition  into  an  already  competitive  U.  S.  communications  market.  By  approving  this  transaction,  we 
 allow  the  creation  of  the  nation’s  largest  independent  wireless  carrier;  one  that  will  be  a  stronger  and  more  robust  competitor  to  wireline  and  other  nationwide  wireless  carriers. 
 While  I  have  agreed  to  support  the  conditions  mutually  agreed  upon  between  the  Applicants  and  some  of  my  colleagues,  I  am  pleased  that  we  do  not  impose  extensive  and 
 unnecessary  conditions  on  our  approval.  It  would  be  a  mistake  to  hamstring  the  merged  entity’s  ability  to  provide  the  anticipated  pro-  competitive  services  to  U.  S.  consumers. 
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