For those of us who simply can’t stomach the idea of AT&T taking over our beloved T-Mobile, the time is now to make your voice heard. So many of you have taken to petitions and Facebook movements to get the word out but if you really want to be heard, the FCC is the best place to file your grievance.
With just 11 days before Congress undertakes the first in what will inevitably be a whole slew of meetings by Congress itself, the FCC and the DOJ. We hope, no that’s not right, we urge you to file your very own comments on the AT&T/T-Mobile matter through the FCC.gov website.
Head on over to the Electronic Filing System of the FCC, look on the left side of the screen for “Submit a Filing” and search for docket number “11-65” and write away. We recommend writing up your statement in a Word file and then uploading the document to the FCC site.
If you’ll allow me a moment of honesty here as I say that we all appreciate the petitions that have started but in all truth, they just aren’t likely to have much influence. Submissions to the FCC on an official level will carry much more weight and are assured to be read by the “right” people.
Some recommendations:
- One sentence submissions aren’t going to do much good, write something that has “meat” to it.
- Proper, formal English should be used. Try and proofread your statement before it’s submitted. Treat it like its a researched essay.
- Try to offer up facts to back up your opinions, use sources if you can or wish to.
- Talk about a lack of competition, fear of increasing prices, loss of innovation.
- Show concerns over the loss of T-Mobile handset coverage after a merger is completed regardless of time frame.
- Indicate that the United States will be down to a single major GSM carrier that will have undue influence on which handsets arrive in the marketplace.
- Show concern over a reduction in the quality of customer care; T-Mobile is consistently ranked in the top of the wireless customer service field with AT&T almost always near or at the bottom.
The FCC will give greater weight to submissions that are well thought out and supply proper evidence to support their argument. Writing “AT&T sucks” isn’t likely to have any impact.
Good luck and spread the word among your friends and family and encourage them to submit their own filing!
FCC Electronic Comment Filing System
Remember, it’s docket #11-65, you must include the dash!