The FCC in a response (PDF) today rebuffed Verizon's claims that its ETF rate hikes are necessary. Commissioner Mignon Clyburn in a public letter described Verizon's justifications for doubling early termination fees as "unsatisfying" and sometimes "troubling." While the carrier primarily explained them as necessary for covering costs when buyers of the Droid and other phones leave their contract, Clyburn says Verizon has expanded the reasoning well beyond just the actual hardware.
