CTIA boosted its spending on legislative lobbying in the second quarter, according to a disclosure report, as the wireless industry's main trade group pressed its case on a number of issues, including making more spectrum available to wireless carriers.
The trade organization spent $2.03 million lobbying the federal government in the second quarter, according to the latest round of disclosure forms filed with the House clerk's office. That's up from $1.28 million it spent in the year-ago period, but down from the $2.18 million it spent in the first quarter of 2010. The CTIA lobbied on taxation of employer-provided phones and a law that would make prepaid phone buyers present identification, among other issues.
Of course, the CTIA's efforts in many cases are bolstered by lobbying from its members. Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) spent $4.44 million on lobbying in the second quarter on a range of issues, including texting while driving and broadband. The figure is up from the $4.23 million Verizon spent in the second quarter of last year but less than the $4.72 million from the first quarter of 2010. Verizon's figures including lobbying on behalf of Verizon Wireless, a joint venture with Vodafone.
AT&T (NYSE:T) spent $3.09 million in the second quarter on lobbying, up slightly from $3.06 million AT&T spent in the year-ago period, but down sharply from the $5.93 million it spent in the first quarter. AT&T has been a vocal opponent of net neutrality regulations, and like other carriers, has been lobbying for more spectrum.
Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S), which has staked out positions on regulatory issues like special-access fees and data roaming that differ from Verizon and AT&T, spent $512,100 in the second quarter on lobbying. That's down from the $756,000 the carrier spent in the year-ago quarter, and down from the $774,100 it spent in the first quarter of 2010.
For more:
- see these AP articles on the CTIA, Verizon, AT&T and Sprint
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