The DOJ is reviewing large American telecoms including ATT and Verizon over concerns the companies have abused the increasingly centralized market power they've gained in recent years, according to an item in the Wall Street Journal today:
The review of potential anti-competitive practices is in its very
early stages, and it isn't a formal investigation of any specific
company at this point, the people said. It isn't clear whether the
agency intends to launch an official inquiry.Among the areas the Justice Department could explore is whether
wireless carriers are hurting smaller competitors by locking up
popular phones through exclusive agreements with handset makers,
according to the people. In recent weeks lawmakers and regulators have
raised questions about deals such as AT&T's exclusive right to provide
service for Apple Inc.'s popular iPhone in the U.S.The Justice Department may also review whether telecom carriers are
unduly restricting the types of services other companies can offer on
their networks, one person familiar with the situation said.
DOJ Opens Review of Telecom Industry (WSJ.com)
