NEWS
Federal Communications Commission
News Media Information 202 / 418-0500
Washington, D.C. 20554
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.
See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE :
NEWS MEDIA CONTACT :
January 29, 2015
Neil Grace, 202-418-0506
E-mail: neil.grace@fcc.gov
FCC PLANS $640,000 FINE AGAINST AT&T FOR UNAUTHORIZED WIRELESS
OPERATIONS
AT&T Allegedly Operated Numerous Wireless Stations
at Variance from Licensed Parameters
Washington, D.C. - The Federal Communications Commission intends to fine AT&T Inc. $640,000 for
allegedly operating numerous wireless stations throughout the United States without authorization over a
multiyear period and failing to provide required license modification notices to the Commission.
According to the Commission, AT&T apparently operated numerous common carrier fixed point-to-point
microwave stations at variance from the stations' authorizations for periods as long as five years. The
Commission takes this enforcement action as part of its duty to prevent unauthorized radio operations
from interfering with authorized radio communications and to facilitate the efficient administration of the
radio spectrum for the benefit of all Americans.
"Our society's dependence upon wireless communications necessitates that the companies entrusted with
authority to transmit those communications operate within licensed parameters," said Travis LeBlanc,
Chief of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau. "A licensee's failure to ensure that its facilities operate as
authorized threatens the integrity of our network and greatly increases the risk of harmful interference,
especially when, as in this case, numerous unauthorized operations continued for years without
resolution."
During its investigation, the Enforcement Bureau examined the licensing history of approximately 250
AT&T stations and determined that AT&T engaged in unauthorized operations at 26 of its stations and
failed to notify the Commission regarding minor modifications of an additional eight stations within the
past year. Today, the Commission finds that AT&T apparently failed to conduct timely technical reviews
of newly acquired licenses to ensure they operated as authorized and that in some instances, even after
becoming aware of the Bureau's investigation, AT&T continues to operate the same stations at variance
from their licensed parameters. According to the Commission, five major modification applications and
two minor modification applications have yet to be filed. The Commission's anticipated fine accounts for
the overall scope of the apparent violations, both in terms of the number and duration of the violations. In
addition, the forfeiture accounts for AT&T's sophistication with handling licensing issues and the
company's size as one of the largest telecommunications service providers in the country.
In 2013, AT&T entered into a $600,000 Consent Decree with the Enforcement Bureau to settle an
investigation of unauthorized operations based on the company's failure to file major and minor
modification applications regarding its cellular service areas.
Common carrier microwave stations are generally used in a point-to-point configuration for long-haul
backbone connections or to connect points on the telephone network which cannot be connected using
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