AT&T, Verizon team to stop T-Mobile from getting more 5G spectrum

AT&T has officially joined Verizon in complaining that T-Mobile is on its way to an unassailable position in 5G spectrum. The two carriers are now urging the FCC to take a hard look at how much low- and midband spectrum T-Mobile owns, and to take action against the carrier if it gains too much spectrum. AT&T and Verizon ostensibly are arguing that T-Mobile's latest spectrum-leasing deal will push its overall spectrum holdings over the FCC's "spectrum screen." The agency's decidedly arbitrary screen was set up in 2004; it's designed to trigger an investigation by the FCC if an operator moves to purchase more than one-third of the total amount of spectrum available in a given market. However, the agency has rarely used the screen as a basis to prevent spectrum purchases.