DOJ Asks FCC to Delay Softbank Sprint Approval DHS, FBI, DOJ Exploring 'National Security' Issues The Justice Department has requested that the FCC defer a planned $20 billion merger between Sprint and SoftBank, giving the government more time to review the planned deal. A filing on the FCC website states that the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security are collectively reviewing the deal with a particular eye on national security. That review was triggered by the fact Japan's Softbank would own 70% of the nation's third biggest wireless carrier. From the filing: DOJ, DHS, and FBI (“the Agencies”) are currently reviewing this matter for any national security, law enforcement, and public safety issues but have not yet completed that effort. We therefore request that the Commission defer action until such time as the Agencies notify the Commission of the completion of their review and, based on the results of such review, request appropriate action by the Commission. The DOJ delay shouldn't prove fatal to the deal, though there's no shortage of companies lobbying to slow or derail the acquisition. AT&T, ignoring a long history of foreign investment (including AT&T and NTT DoCoMo), has tried to drum up a little xenophobia concerning Softbank. Dish urged the FCC to pause their deal review earlier this month, but in a letter sent to the FCC yesterday stated they won't officially oppose the deal. Update: "This is a routine request when working with the CFIUS agencies regarding national security," Sprint said in a statement e-mailed to Broadband Reports. "We continue to anticipate that the transaction will be completed in mid-2013."
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  morboComplete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000 | National Security delay urged on by Verizon and AT&T Verizon and AT&T have the most to gain by this "National Security" review of the Sprint and SoftBank merger.
The unspoken issue is that cell providers have untold access to voice and data communications that travel over their network. The concern, real or not, is that the NSA could have competition with another government over the complete monitoring of U.S. citizen communications. Only the NSA can spy on domestic communications of U.S. citizens!  | |
|  | KearnstdElf WizardPremium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | Re: National Security delay urged on by Verizon and AT&T The thing is, Softbank is Japanese so not really a threat to US security considering they are a close ally.
Meaning any spying they do they would likely just mirror without question to the CIA, NSA, ATF, FBI, (insert missed letter agencies here)
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports | |
| | | Beans
join:2005-07-16
united state Reviews:
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: National Security delay urged on by Verizon and AT&T said by Kearnstd:The thing is, Softbank is Japanese so not really a threat to US security considering they are a close ally.
Meaning any spying they do they would likely just mirror without question to the CIA, NSA, ATF, FBI, (insert missed letter agencies here)
DEA, MIB  | |
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|  dib22
join:2002-01-27
Kansas City, MO
kudos:2 | | |
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| | It's reasonable You never know if you have Chinese behind the deal that spies and exports us patents and intellectual properties. | |
| |  AVDRespice, Adspice, ProspicePremium
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ | not the Chineese that are spying... I guess Bob needs assurances that his backdoor will not be closed if the merger goes through.
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 skeechanAi OtsukaholicPremium
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170
kudos:2
 ·Cox HSI
 ·Clear Wireless
1 edit | Review it absolutely Any foreign acquisition should be reviewed, not just for national security interests but national interests in general.
Of course it will be approved, they just approved the sale of that bankrupt battery company originally funded with stimulus dollars to the Chi-Coms. | |
| | Reviews:
 ·AT&T U-Verse
·MegaPath
| Re: Review it absolutely It comes down to spectrum ownership of an outside company. The US has the same law as Canada just not as strict as Canada. SoftBank should not be allowed to take control because of those guidelines. Especially with our information going over there. Once the deal is approved who knows what Softbank will do with the deal. Hell they could be taken over by China and the US is screwed them. | |
| |  tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI | Agree, but if you take a couple of other big telecom company’s you have one in bed with Deutsche Telekom and the other with UK multinational mobile network operator Vodafone which may ONLY own 45% of Big red but they are still a non-domestic stock owner that has a say. So, this belly aching by big red SHOULD go nowhere. Sprint contracted out ALL its network services (switch techs) to one of Sweden's largest companies, Ericsson, who handles ALL of Sprints Wireline and wireless network maintenance and NO ONE said a thing about in in 2009. So, why would it be any different to contract out to a non-domestic company to handle your day to day network operations no more a security risk then to allow an ally buy a controlling stake or pump billions of dollars into your network? We see this every time one of these big babies gets the leg up on the other. If Sprint wasn't a threat, AT&T and Vagina wouldn't give a rats behind. But as we have seen, they are worried and they should be. | |
| | | skeechanAi OtsukaholicPremium
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170
kudos:2 | Re: Review it absolutely As a user of Softbank and Sprint, I'm all for the acquisition. $20B would do Sprint good and a merging of my Softbank and Sprint accounts even better although the latter is very unlikely to happen. | |
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| | Will they do the same for Tmob and Verizon? VZW is partly owned by Vodafone and Tmob by DT/Germany. Will they go through a review with same scrutiny? | |
| |  LinklistPremium
join:2002-03-03
Williamstown, NJ
kudos:5 | Re: Will they do the same for Tmob and Verizon? said by xenophon:VZW is partly owned by Vodafone and Tmob by DT/Germany. Will they go through a review with same scrutiny?
Those reviews were done years ago. Once approved they don't do them over and over.
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A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasury. | |
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join:2002-03-03
Williamstown, NJ
kudos:5 | Re: Will they do the same for Tmob and Verizon? Seems like the DOJ is doing their best to protect AT&T & Verizon by harassing T-Mobile & Sprint.
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A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasury. | |
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tkdslr
join:2004-04-24
Pompano Beach, FL | I don't see much of a difference... Let's see Softbank to acquire 70% of Sprint for 20.1B$..
verses..
Vodafone already owns 45% of Verizon Wireless, since 1999.. | |
|  KrKHeavy Artillery For The Little GuyPremium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T DSL Service
| And where is the DOJ while.... companies allow offshoring and overseas outsourcing? Huge databases of American's business activities, spending histories, credit histories and yes, telecommunications histories and all the like all overseas in third party call centers?
Ah yes, but this Softbank/Sprint deal is opposed by large Telecom incumbent corporations. AH YES. All becomes clear.
The finest Government money can buy.
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"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." -- Benito Mussolini
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