Verizon Wireless is trying to beat American regulators to the punch on efforts to reform telecom laws by offering smaller carriers 2-3 year-long roaming agreements. Lawmakers are hoping to change the current situation where mobile operators aren’t required to support competing providers – Verizon, being king of the hill, could be in a position where it would have to open up its network for other major U.S. carriers. However, they might be saved some serious competition by pre-empting the regulation with an offer limited to smaller companies and short time frames.
On the surface, it sounds like Verizon’s offering something reasonable that would essentially be the big guy helping the little guy to even out the playing field, but Leap’s Laurie Itkin isn’t satisfied with the offer.
“Verizon itself has relied on roaming agreements for over two decades as it built out its network and acquired competitors, but now has unilaterally decided that its remaining competitors are only entitled to roaming for two or three years.”
[via Reuters]