August 7, 2017
`
`Via Electronic Filing
`
`The Hon. Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Chairman
`The Hon. David S. Johanson, Vice Chairman
`United States International Trade Commission
`
`500 E Street, SW
`Washington, DC. 20436
`
`Re:
`
`Sprint Corporation’s Statement on the Public Interest
`Certain Semiconductor Devices, Semiconductor Device Packages, and Products
`Containing the Same, Inv. No. 337-TA~1010
`
`Dear Chairman Schmidtlein, Vice Chairman Johanson, and Commissioners:
`
`On behalf of Sprint Spectrum LP, I respectfully submit these comments in response to
`the Commission’s Notice of Request for Statements on the Public Interest in the matter
`of Certain Semiconductor Devices, Semiconductor Device Packages, and Products
`Containing the Same, Inv. No. 337—TA-101, dated July 10, 2017.
`
`Sprint is a leading telecommunications service provider and mobile network operator.
`Sprint has roughly 28,000 employees and has over 4,700 stores in the United States.
`With approximately $54 million customers as of March 2017, Sprint is currently the
`fourth—largest mobile network operator in the United States, behind Verizon, AT&T, and
`T—Mobile. 1
`
`Sprint is deeply concerned about the potential impact of an exclusion order on its
`business and its customers and on competition among mobile network operators
`generally. HTC (one of the respondents in this Investigation} has partnered with Sprint
`to provide its cutting—edge Androidhased “Bolt” smartphone exclusively to Sprint
`customers. Sprint’s strategic partnership with ETC to preside exclusive access to the
`Bolt smartphone helps distinguish Sprint from other mobile network operators and
`remain competitire,,2 Moreover, this partnership is about more than just providing an
`exclusive flagship phone: the ETC Bolt is specifically designed to take fol} advantage of
`Sprint’s LTE Plus network, which further sets Sprint apart from its competitors.
`
`i Sprints overall network reliability is on par with both Verizon and ATSET and
`outperforms T~Mohile based on an analysis of Nielsen data from the top 106
`metropolitan markets.
`
`2 See, e.g., htt
`
`
`
`511311 htes~hi
`
`remanenead eteom 201E}
`
`lieend~liolt~is~a~fast~
`
`
`
`

`

`The Hon. Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Chairman
`The Hon. David S. Johanson, Vice Chairman
`
`August 7, 2017
`Page 2
`
`Sprint understands that the Administrative Law Judge (AM) in this Investigation has
`recommended an exclusion order and a cease and desist order relating to products
`containing accused semiconductor chips. An expansive remedial order such as the one
`the ALJ has recommended here poses significant repercussions to Sprint. If the
`Commission adopts the ALJ’s recommended remedy, Sprint is concerned that it will not
`be able to offer the Bolt smartphone to its customers The loss of this exclusive product
`could cost Sprint current and prospective customers by, among other things,
`compromising Sprint’s ability to showcase and market its LTE Plus network.
`*sae
`
`While Sprint expresses no opinion on the merits of the Investigation, we are deeply
`concerned about the impact a remedial order may have on our competitive standing and
`on our customers who would have fewer options when choosing a smartphone,
`particularly leading edge devices such as the Bolt. If the Commission determines a
`remedy of some kind is appropriate, we urge you to consider tailoring any remedial
`order to avoid disruption to Sprint’s ability to offer the Bolt (among other HTC
`smartphone products) to its customers, such as by delaying by six or more months the
`imposition of any remedy to allow HTC to qualify non-accused chips for its products.
`
`Sincerely,
`
`Ryan Suilivan
`Vice President, Device Sevelopment & Engineering
`
`

`

`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`The Honorable Dee Lord
`Administrative Law Judge
`U.S. International Trade Commission
`500 E. Street SW, Room 317
`Washington, D.C. 20436
`
`I, Pamela A. Freitik, hereby certify that the attached document has been served upon the
`
`following parties as indicated below on August 7, 2017.
`
`☒ Via EDIS
`The Honorable Lisa R. Barton
`☐ Via First Class Mail
`Secretary to the Commission
`☐ Via Express Delivery
`U.S. International Trade Commission
`☒ Via Hand Delivery
`500 E Street SW, Room 112-A
`Washington, D.C. 20436
`
`☐ Via EDIS
`Sidney A. Rosenzweig
`☐ Via First Class Mail
`Office of the General Counsel
`☐ Via Express Delivery
`U.S. International Trade Commission
`☐ Via Hand Delivery
`500 E Street SW
`☒ Via Electronic Mail at
`Washington, D.C. 20436
`
`sidney.rosenzweig@usitc.gov
`
`☐ Via First Class Mail
`☐ Via Express Delivery
`☒ Via Hand Delivery
`☒ Via Electronic Mail at
`edward.jou@usitc.gov
`
`☐ Via EDIS
`☐ Via First Class Mail
`☐ Via Express Delivery
`☐ Via Hand Delivery
`☒ Via Electronic Mail at
`Tessera-Broadcom@cov.com
` ☐ Via EDIS
`☐ Via First Class Mail
`☐ Via Express Delivery
`☐ Via Hand Delivery
`☒ Via Electronic Mail at
`Tessera-Broadcom@cov.com
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Sturgis M. Sobin
`Shara Aranoff
`Daniel E. Valencia
`COVINGTON & BURLING LLP
`One CityCenter, 850 Tenth Street, N.W.
`Washington, D.C. 20001
`
`
`Michael K. Plimack
`Dale A. Rice
`Nitin Subhedar
`COVINGTON & BURLING LLP
`One Front Street
`San Francisco, CA 94111
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`

`Robert T. Haslam
`Anupam Sharma
`Thomas E. Garten
`COVINGTON & BURLING LLP
`333 Twin Dolphin Drive
`Redwood Shores, CA 94065-1418
`
`
`Counsel for Complainants Tessera Technologies,
`Inc., Tessera, Inc. and Invensas Corporation
`
`KILPATRICK TOWNSEND & STOCKTON LLP
`David E. Sipiora
`Kristopher L. Reed
`Matthew C. Holohan
`Brian P. O’Donnell
`1400 Wewatta Street, Suite 600
`Denver, CO 80202
`
`Joshua B. Pond
`607 14th Street, NW, Suite 900
`Washington, D.C. 20005-2018
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Norris P. Boothe
`Matthew J. Meyer
`William E. Mosley
`1080 Marsh Road
`Menlo Park, CA 94025
`
`
`
`
`FOSTER MURPHY ALTMAN & NICKEL PC
`David F. Nickel
`Matthew N. Duescher
`1899 L Street, N.W., Suite 1150
`Washington, D.C. 20036
`
`Counsel for Respondents Broadcom Limited,
`Broadcom Corporation, Arista Networks, Inc. ARRIS
`International plc, ARRIS Group, Inc., ARRIS
`Technology, Inc., ARRIS Enterprises LLC, ARRIS
`
`
`
`☐ Via EDIS
`☐ Via First Class Mail
`☐ Via Express Delivery
`☐ Via Hand Delivery
`☒ Via Electronic Mail at
`Tessera-Broadcom@cov.com
`
`
`
`☐ Via EDIS
`☐ Via First Class Mail
`☐ Via Express Delivery
`☐ Via Hand Delivery
`☒ Via Electronic Mail at
`Broadcom-
`TesseraITC@kilpatricktownsend.com
`
` ☐ Via EDIS
`☐ Via First Class Mail
`☐ Via Express Delivery
`☐ Via Hand Delivery
`☒ Via Electronic Mail at
`Broadcom-
`TesseraITC@kilpatricktownsend.com
`
` ☐ Via EDIS
`☐ Via First Class Mail
`☐ Via Express Delivery
`☐ Via Hand Delivery
`☒ Via Electronic Mail at
`Broadcom-
`TesseraITC@kilpatricktownsend.com
`
` ☐ Via EDIS
`☐ Via First Class Mail
`☐ Via Express Delivery
`☐ Via Hand Delivery
`☒ Via Electronic Mail at
`FM-Broadcom-
`1010@fostermurphy.com
`
`
`

`

`Solutions, Inc. , Pace Ltd., Pace Americas, LLC, Pace
`USA, LLC, ASUSTeK Computer Inc., ASUS
`Computer International, Comcast Cable
`Communications, LLC, Comcast Cable
`Communications Management, LLC, Comcast
`Business Communications, LLC, Technicolor S.A.,
`Technicolor USA, Inc., Technicolor Connected Home
`USA LLC, NETGEAR, Inc., HTC Corporation and
`HTC America, Inc.
`
`David A. Hickerson
`George C. Beck
`Foley & Lardner LLP
`3000 K Street, N.W., Suite 600
`Washington, D.C. 20007-5109
`
`
`Steven J. Rizzi
`Ramy E. Hanna
`Foley & Lardner LLP
`90 Park Avenue
`New York, New York 10016-1314
`
`
`Counsel for Broadcom Limited
`and Broadcom Corporation
`
`
`
`
`☐ Via EDIS
`☐ Via First Class Mail
`☐ Via Express Delivery
`☐ Via Hand Delivery
`☒ Via Electronic Mail at
`Broadcom-Foley@Foley.com
` ☐ Via EDIS
`☐ Via First Class Mail
`☐ Via Express Delivery
`☐ Via Hand Delivery
`☒ Via Electronic Mail at
`Broadcom-Foley@Foley.com
`
`
`
`/s/ Pamela A. Freitik
`Pamela A. Freitik
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`