The FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau said May 17 that it is seeking comment on the state of mobile wireless competition for its 17th annual report to Congress that analyzes the competitive conditions in the commercial mobile market.
The bureau is seeking information and metrics to update data presented in the 16th report and to assist it as it prepares this year’s report.
Among the data the bureau is looking for is information on the structure of the industry, the conduct of wireless concerns, market performance and consumer behavior as relates to mobile services.
The bureau also is seeking data on input and downstream segments, intermodal competition, urban-rural comparisons, and international comparisons. As far as possible, the bureau is looking for information across the mobile wireless ecosystem. It also wants to know if the framework used in the 16th report was sufficient for analyzing competition in the mobile market “in a useful and timely manner.”
In the notice announcing the request for comments, the bureau spelled out which data sources it used to prepare the 16th report. It is looking for comment on whether there are other data sources that it should use. “We seek input on whether there are other sources of data, especially quantitative data, which the commission can use to perform a comprehensive analysis of mobile wireless competition,” the notice said.
According to the notice, the bureau is looking for commenters to provide data and statistics for 2012 and early 2013. The bureau also wants information on trends and developments that happened in 2012 or 2013.
The bureau invited members of the public, those in industry and other interested parties to submit information, comments and analyses of mobile wireless competition.
Comments are due June 17, and the deadline for reply comments is July 1.
