FCC to look at exclusive cell phone deals

NEW YORK (AP) — Regulators will investigate whether exclusive cell phone deals, such as the one that locks the iPhone to AT&T, are good for consumers.

The acting chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Michael Copps, has instructed the commission’s staff to review exclusivity arrangements.

“In the fast-changing wireless handset market ... we must ensure that consumers are able to reap the benefits that a robust and innovative competitive marketplace can bestow,” Copps said Thursday at an industry conference in Washington.