A partnership of public interest groups has stepped forward to protest the proposed $28.1 billion Verizon Wireless-Alltel merger that the FCC is expected to vote on Nov. 4.

The Public Interest Spectrum Trust represents six organizations and will meet with the FCC commissioners this week to urge them to consider rules that would prevent the newly merged company from violating open access rules that apply to wireline ISPs. 

In a separate report in The Wall Street Journal, Verizon said that despite Wall Street concerns over Alltel's debt, it was still planning to push ahead with the deal.

The deal, which Verizon hopes to finalize before the end of the year, is also being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust division. 

For more:
- see this article
- see this WSJ article (sub. req.)

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