Team Telecom Wants Review of T-Mobile/UScellular Deal

The Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecommunications Service Sector asked the FCC to refer to it T-Mobile’s proposed buy of wireless assets from UScellular (see 2405280047) for further examination. DOJ asked for the referral “to determine whether these applications pose a risk to the national security or law enforcement interests” of the U.S., said a filing this week in docket 24-286. The committee -- informally known by its former name, Team Telecom -- is an interagency review body composed of DOJ, DOD and the Department of Homeland Security. DOJ “believes that such risk may be raised by the foreign participation (including the foreign relationships and ownership) associated with the applications, and a review by the Committee is necessary to assess and make an appropriate recommendation as to how the Commission should adjudicate these applications,” the filing said. It cites executive order 13913 issued in 2020 by then-President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, petitions to deny the transfer of UScellular authorizations and spectrum licenses to T-Mobile are due Dec. 9 (see 2410300051), but the National Wireless Independent Dealer Association (NWIDA) made its opposition known on Wednesday. NWIDA cited “T-Mobile's documented history of post-merger conduct that has proven detrimental to independent dealers and the communities they serve.” T-Mobile’s conduct, “particularly following the Sprint acquisition, demonstrates a concerning trend of eliminating independent dealers despite pre-merger assurances,” the group said: “Currently, T-Mobile faces multiple lawsuits from independent dealers, and their Chief Operating Officer has publicly expressed a preference for corporate-owned stores over independent dealers.”