STATEMENT OF 
CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWSKI
Re: Applications of Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless and SpectrumCo LLC and Cox 
TMI, LLC For Consent To Assign AWS-1 Licenses, WT Docket No. 12-4;  Applications of Verizon 
Wireless and Leap for Consent To Exchange Lower 700 MHz, AWS-1, and PCS Licenses, ULS 
File Nos. 0004942973, 0004942992, 0004952444, 0004949596, and 0004949598; and 
Applications of T-Mobile License LLC and Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless for 
Consent to Assign Licenses, WT Docket 12-175
After a rigorous review, the Commission has approved with conditions a substantially 
modified transaction between Verizon Wireless and the cable company owners of SpectrumCo, 
as well as important spectrum transactions involving T-Mobile and Leap. Together, these actions 
put valuable wireless spectrum to use while preserving broadband competition, to the benefit of 
consumers and our economy.
Our review revealed that the Verizon-SpectrumCo deal, as initially proposed, posed 
serious anti-competitive concerns and would not serve the public interest.  In response to 
objections by FCC and Justice Department staff, the parties made fundamental changes to their 
agreements and a number of binding pro-competitive commitments.  I commend the companies 
for working with the Commission to resolve concerns.
In particular, Verizon Wireless has committed to offering data roaming to its competitors 
and consumers.  Roaming obligations have helped fuel competition, investment, and consumer 
choice in America’s wireless marketplace since the first cellular voice service in 1981.  
Consistent with the Commission’s 2011 Order extending the basic roaming framework to mobile 
broadband, Verizon’s enhanced roaming commitments will help ensure that consumers, 
particularly in rural areas, have more choices and are not denied access to affordable mobile 
broadband services. 
In connection with the FCC’s review, Verizon Wireless has also undertaken an 
unprecedented divestiture of spectrum to one of its competitors, T-Mobile, and has committed to 
significantly accelerate the build-out of its new spectrum.
The companies’ commercial agreements were also substantially modified to, among other 
things, preserve Verizon's incentives to build out FiOS, increase wireless competition, and ensure 
that the proposed Verizon Wireless-cable company technology joint venture is pro-consumer and 
that its products cannot be used in anti-competitive ways.
Two of my colleagues disagree with important elements of the Commission’s order.  
Although a large number of businesses and public interest groups raised strong concerns and 
urged Commission action, my colleagues would not have adopted conditions relating to 
broadband roaming, they would not have reviewed or worked to revise the commercial 
agreements, and it is unclear whether they would have sought any spectrum divestitures.  But 
protecting competition and incentives to build out wired and wireless broadband is core to the 
FCC’s statutory responsibilities.  Competition is at the heart of our free-market economy, and 
broadband infrastructure deployment is key to economic growth, job creation, and our global 
competitiveness.  The Commission makes the right choice today in exercising our responsibilities 
and taking strong action based on a rigorous review.
Approval of the substantially modified transaction will benefit consumers in several 
ways.  By advancing U.S. leadership in 4G LTE deployment, the transaction marks another step 
in our effort to promote the U.S. innovation economy and make state-of-the-art broadband 
available to more people in more places.  The transaction will preserve incentives for deployment 
and spur innovation while guarding against anti-competitive conduct.  And vitally, it will put 
more than 20 megahertz of prime spectrum – spectrum that has gone unused for too long –
quickly to work across the country, benefiting consumers and the marketplace. 
I commend the FCC staff for their excellent and diligent work throughout this review.  I 
also want to thank our talented and dedicated colleagues at the Justice Department.