Federal Communications Commission FCC 09-54
1
STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER ROBERT M. McDOWELL
RE: Applications Filed for the Transfer of Control of Embarq Corporation to CenturyTel, Inc., WC 
Docket No. 08-238
I am pleased to support this merger and look forward to the consumer benefits that will result
from the combination of Embarq and CenturyTel.  The merger will benefit consumers in many ways, 
including creating synergies that will spur network investment and speeding the roll-out of broadband and 
other advanced services throughout the combined entity’s service area.
I am, however, concerned by the nature of some of the conditions that are attached to this merger.  
I have repeatedly stated, and our precedent requires, that conditions should be narrowly-tailored to 
remedy only merger-specific harms, not to implement policies that are better addressed in a rulemaking of 
general applicability.
Finally, as we work to reform FCC processes going forward, I hope that the Commission will 
endeavor to meet its 180-day “shot clock” for merger reviews more consistently.