Hold the phone: Feds urge scrutiny on Verizon-Unicel merger

November 21, 2007

NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Three federal agencies say they want to check out the national security, law enforcement and public safety implications before Verizon Wireless is allowed to swallow up the Unicel cellular phone company in 15 states.

That message, contained in a letter sent earlier this month from the Department of Homeland Security to the Federal Communications Commission, represents one of several recent bumps in the road for a merger that also is drawing questions from some quarters on antitrust grounds.

Spokeswomen for Verizon and Homeland Security both called the review routine, and Verizon's Nancy Stark said the delay requested by the agencies was separate from that granted by the FCC at the request of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

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