RIDGELAND, Miss.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cellular South, the largest privately-owned wireless communications provider in the U.S., released the following response statement on the data roaming order issued Thursday by the Federal Communication Commission. The statement should be attributed to Hu Meena, president and CEO of Cellular South:
“American consumers rightfully expect to have seamless access to their email and the web wherever there is a compatible wireless network. Today’s data roaming order is an important first step toward meeting that expectation.”
“Over the past several years, Cellular South has worked alongside virtually every wireless carrier in the nation to support automatic data roaming and we appreciate Chairman Genachowski’s work in getting this done. We now look forward to seeing this effort through for the benefit of our customers and the communities we serve.”
“We hope that with Chairman Genachowski’s continued leadership, today’s order can soon be coupled with a requirement for 700 MHz interoperability to improve access to critical public safety applications, unleash substantial job growth and to enable wireless carriers like Cellular South, U.S. Cellular, Sprint and many others, to invest hundreds of millions of dollars of private capital in the construction and operation of new cell sites, towers, and retail locations throughout America, including some of its most rural communities.”
“The need for both data roaming and 700MHz interoperability is even greater in the context of AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile, and AT&T’s and Verizon’s de facto duopoly in the 700 MHz spectrum. The FCC must continue to assure that the use of the public airwaves remains competitive – this includes adhering to the wireless interoperability model first set by the Reagan-era FCC.”
“Today is a good day for the American wireless industry and for the hundreds of millions of Americans who depend on wireless services whenever and wherever they are in order to connect with their loved ones and to run their businesses.”
Background
Cellular South – along with virtually every other wireless carrier in the nation including Sprint and T-Mobile – has opposed AT&T’s and Verizon’s efforts to prevent both the implementation of a data roaming obligation and 700 MHz interoperability. Solutions to these two issues would assure that consumers and public safety users have access to email, the web, or any other web-based application wherever there is a compatible commercial network. Without such basic rules-of-the-road, competitive carriers have little incentive to build out their own networks because they cannot assure their customers seamless access to email or the web outside their home networks. Today the FCC issued an “Automatic Data Roaming” order. That order requires facilities-based providers of commercial mobile data services to offer data roaming arrangements to other such providers on commercially reasonable terms and conditions, subject to certain limitations.
About Cellular South
Cellular South is a privately-owned diversified mobile communications company passionately committed to helping customers get the most out of their wireless devices and services. The nation's largest privately owned wireless carrier serves over 875,000 customers in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida. Cellular South is a leading member of the Rural Cellular Association. The company’s CEO, Hu Meena, is the current Vice-Chair of the RCA’s Board of Directors. For more information, visit www.cellularsouth.com.