Regulatory Capture Through Service

“McCaw, however, felt less worried about the uncertainties. Having dealt with cities and counties over cable TV franchises, he felt he could anticipate what regulators would most want for cellular: community service. Perhaps the trade-offs would not be as specific as requiring a cable company to plant trees in a local park, as Sacramento had. But McCaw knew that engineering studies and financing only contributed to the important point: that an applicant promise service to the broad- est audience possible. That meant his application should envision many cell sites covering a broad area. "I knew from cable you had to promise big dreams," McCaw says. "Take care of people. That's what [regula- tors] want to see."”

“their corporate future. "Keep ahead of them. Don't worry about what they're telling you they want," McCaw insisted. "Just do what's right for them and figure it out before they do. Don't worry about what they tell you, because it's just the fingers of the bureaucracy. It's not connected to the brain. They're connected to the elbow."”