News

This Op-Ed by Larry Cohen was recently published on the blog The Hill thehill.com

"The acquisition of T-Mobile USA by AT&T is good news for everyone who realizes that the United States needs to catch up to the rest of the world when it comes to broadband speed and buildout.

It presents a real opportunity to expand true high speed broadband in this country that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. AT&T and T-Mobile use the same GSM technology. With the benefit of shared spectrum, that’s a big advantage for customers over other U.S. wireless companies that were looking to buy T-Mobile.

Initially, the deal means that T-Mobile customers will get quick access to the AT&T network, with data speeds of at least 10 megabits downstream. It means that AT&T customers will benefit from expanded spectrum and a bigger network.

Maybe even more important, with AT&T’s commitment to build out high speed broadband service to 95 percent of the country, the U.S. will begin to close the digital divide that affects so many American families, especially those in rural communities..."

To continue reading please follow the link below:

The Hill

Larry Cohen is president of the Communications Workers of America, representing 700,000 workers in telecommunications, media, airlines, manufacturing, public service and health care.

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/151241-atat-and-t-mobile-merger-means-better-broadband