Randall Stephenson on spectrum acquisition
From AT&T CEO: We want everyone mobile · · CNN Business
“We bought his company, paid two billion dollars for this spectrum two years ago, maybe close to three now, for spectrum that we knew we would not be able to deploy for probably four years. And then the year before last we entered the FCC auction to buy even more of this spectrum. And so within a couple of years we spent nine billion dollars on airwaves.”
On , Randall Stephenson, Former Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at AT&T, spoke about spectrum acquisition during AT&T CEO: We want everyone mobile on CNN Business.
About Randall Stephenson
Randall Stephenson, former chairman and CEO of AT&T, has spoken publicly about the company's strategy regarding its proposed merger with Time Warner, 5G technology, and broader economic policy. In 2016 testimony before a Senate subcommittee, Stephenson argued that the merger would benefit consumers by providing more choices and lower-priced options, and he stated that AT&T would not withhold Time Warner content to disadvantage competitors. He also said that AT&T had been the largest investor in the United States for five consecutive years and that he expected that to continue. At the 2019 FinTech Ideas Festival, Stephenson discussed the potential of 5G networks, stating that the technology would enable precise location tracking of devices within centimeters, which he said could change how authentication and identity are handled in digital transactions. Stephenson has also addressed social and political issues. In a 2018 interview, he discussed a 2016 speech he gave to AT&T employees about Black Lives Matter, saying he was glad it went viral because it initiated conversations about race within the company and among other CEOs. On economic policy, he stated in 2016 that a 2% growth rate was "unacceptable" and called for tax reform and the approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership to stimulate growth. He also noted that regulatory and tax policies had influenced AT&T's investment decisions, including its expansion into Mexico.