Verizon is suing Sprint Nextel for $10 million over non-payment of interconnection charges while Sprint is going after AT&T via the FCC to ensure AT&T abides by an interconnection condition it agreed to when it merged with BellSouth in 2006. AT&T says Sprint and others are misinterpreting the whole merger commitment.
“Verizon has repeatedly attempted to resolve this dispute short of litigation,” the suit stated. “Yet these attempts, made over many months and through both written and personal communications, have been fruitless. Accordingly, Verizon has been forced to seek relief from this court.”
“Because Verizon’s claims in this matter are running up against a two-year statute of limitations, this complaint comes as no surprise — this is simply a standard legal maneuver by Verizon to preserve their legal claim against us,” said John Taylor, a Sprint Nextel spokesman. “We remain hopeful that we can resolve this matter without any further legal action by either party.”