I am officially ashamed to be a member of the CTIA at this point. They are supposed to be protecting the entire industry, not just the big telco companies that pay the largest dues. The biog telco companies that maintain garden walls and stifle innovation. The big telco companies that have kept the American market a good year or two behind Europe and even more behind Japan, the big telco companies that have somehow managed to get the FCC not to require open access on the current networks. This is complete hypocrisy.

Absolutely agree with the comment above. Completely hypocritical of them to state, “Consumers should decide if they’re right, not the federal government.” Then wtf is their reasoning for lobbying on the behalf of the telcos? Biggest BS I’ve ever heard.

The mantra of “let the consumer decide” is a long-used, fallacious argument of lobbyists seeking to create a false dichotomy. Google’s “requirements” are merely suggestions in the first place, but secondly they are geared toward opening the spectrum to greater uses by more people, not the other way around. Secondly, I’m not sure how this is a government handout. Saying “consumers should decide if they’re right” suggests that the government itself should have no role in auctioning frequencies, but I don’t see CTIA making that statement directly.

Give me a freaking break. The big telcos wouldn’t exist but for 100 years of “buying custom-fit government regulations that suit their particular business plans.” The 96 Act could have created wireline competition, but the telcos and their lobbyists bought regulations to kill it, just like they have any attempt to foce them to open “their” copper networks (you know, the ones they built at absolutely no shareholder risk due to guaranteed return on investment via regulated rates).

Hey CTIA, who pays your salaries?

Oh, the close minded carriers of America you say?

Now I get it.