Chalk one up for the little guys, as the Federal Communications Commission has overturned a 2007 decision that should make it easier for smaller carriers to sign voice roaming agreements.
The governmental agency said wireless operators have to offer other carriers voice roaming in areas where it has spectrum but hasn’t yet built out the needed infrastructure. This is important because it takes a lot of time and money to build out your network and having this type of roaming agreement is vital to attract new customers as you’re building out your coverage. Essentially, this means someone like Verizon or Sprint would have to offer a MetroPCS-like carrier roaming in a market where the smaller carrier owns spectrum.
As for data roaming, that’s still a bit fuzzy but the FCC opened an inquiry into whether this should be automatic or not. I still don’t think this will help any of the smaller carriers topple the big four but it gives these companies a fighting chance. For consumers on smaller carriers, this should mean you’ll get more coverage in more markets, which is always a good thing.
[Via Fierce Wireless]