Verizon CEO says rules cause static for industry

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Sep 20, 2007 | by Bloomberg News

Verizon Communications Inc. Chief Executive Officer Ivan Seidenberg said the rules controlling a U.S. government auction of wireless airwaves impose too many costs and interfere too much with the industry.

The second-biggest U.S. phone company sued the U.S. Federal Communications Commission last week to overturn the rules, which would allow consumers to use any device on the airwaves. Mobile- phone service providers normally only allow phones they have sanctioned to work on their networks.

Verizon claims the FCC overstepped its authority and violated the U.S. Constitution by adopting the rules. Letting consumers connect any device also may undermine the network's security and reliability, the company said.