BUSINESS NEWS.(TO THE POINT)

TELECOM

CenturyTel backers want talks

Many large shareholders want the rural telecom to talk with Alltel. But they said ill feelings between the firms make that unlikely, even if Alltel sweetens its $5.83 billion cash-and-stock bid. The Reuters survey of CenturyTel investors backs Alltel's claim that it's gaining support, though many find its offer too low.

FCC objects to NextWave's plan

The Federal Communications Commission wants a U.S. bankruptcy court to reject NextWave's plan to exit bankruptcy, arguing that the plan lacked sufficient data. The FCC is waging a separate battle to reclaim wireless licenses that NextWave failed to pay for on time. Those licenses, for which NextWave bid $4.7 billion, were resold by the FCC in January to other wireless carriers for $16 billion. An appeals court ruled in June that the FCC couldn't repossess the licenses and ordered them returned to NextWave.

SBC, BellSouth fight FCC rules

Local phone companies BellSouth and SBC Communications asked a federal appeals court to toss new rules that make them share central office space with rival upstarts. They said the Federal Communications Commission exceeded its authority and jurisdiction.