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FCC Approves AT&T's DirecTV Purchase
An anonymous reader writes: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has granted approval to AT&T to purchase DirecTV for $48.5 billion. AT&T will become the largest provider of cable or satellite TV in the U.S., with 26.4 million subscribers. "Adding TV customers gives AT&T more power to negotiate with big media companies over prices for those channels. The deal also combines a nationwide satellite TV service, the country's largest, with the No. 2 nationwide wireless network as time spent on mobile devices increases." The FCC did put conditions on the deal: AT&T must make fiber internet service available to 12.5 million people, offer cheaper internet plans to low-income customers, and not mess with the internet traffic of online video competitors.
I don't think those conditions can be legally binding.
I just wish it were Ma Bell.
If you thought you got screwed by their cell phone contracts...
Enough consolidation already. There is nothing left to watch on DirectTV anyway, once Stewart quits in a couple of weeks. Science channel is all ghosts and reality tv, scifi is wrestling and reality tv, discover is completely useless and history isn't even the nazi channel anymore.
We were looking at going with DirectTV to get away from AT&T, because AT&T sucks rotting puss-filled maggot carcases on a good day.
There goes that plan.
Table-ized A.I.
How many times have you heard - they're now the biggest provider in the US.. This will give them more bargaining power, yada yada yada.
One thing remains the same (or goes up) - the costs of their service.
Eek. Wonder how long it'll take them to mangle the service? On the bright side it's one more reason to get away from TV.
Man blir trött av att gå och göra ingenting.
Goodbye DirecTV/AT&T!
I'm not even going to wait for the first shoe to drop. I am now devoting some actual time to finding a valid replacement for DirecTV that will still give me access to all the shows I like: Mr. Robot, The Americans, Silicon Valley, Veep, Halt and Catch Fire, and various shows about catching gold and crabs. Right now Sling TV from Dish Network looks like the best offer.
But just fuck AT&T. I've been a customer at one level or another for going on two decades now. I thought DirecTV was a sneaky asshole with their never ending un-announced rate increases on everything for no good reason, hundreds of channel slots wasted on non-stop infomercials, shopping channels, etc.
I can't imagine what good ol' AT&T has in store for the millions of innocents that just want decent TV at a decent price. The horror.
Less competition, higher prices.
I read someone else's comment that said that companies should be required to complete the past-due, public-benefit conditions made for their previous mergers before merging again. I like that idea. Maybe if we repeat that enough then it will start to become a real criteria.
AT&T is back in the cable TV biz.... and they almost destroyed it the last time they tried this.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
The Imperials claim a new system. The power of the Death Star will not be denied.
Just getting by with Netflix and Amazon Prime?
I haven't had a full cable TV package for at least 6 years and I really can't say that I miss it.
I suppose there are some shows that I might be missing out on... but they eventually make it to Prime or Netflix and then I can just binge them. And if they don't, I never saw them in the first place so I can't miss what I never had...
Recently when CenturyLink offered me a bundle deal with my gigabit Internet it almost doubled the price... I opted to just pay the full price for the Internet. I don't understand why people would pay $100 extra a month for hundreds of channels they will never watch...
When will channels just be offered a-la-cart?
My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
How long before DTV's customer service takes a plunge?
"A plan fiendishly clever in its intricacies"- Homer Simpson
Unless they specify what cheaper is, and what speed of Internet qualifies as worthy of the price they charge, this will still be screwing over low-income customers. I've seen these cheaper plans from other companies that were required by deals and they suck. 384 Kbps for $18.91 per month is bullshit. If it wasn't illegal to share Internet with neighbors I could supply 100 families with Internet at that speed with my overpriced $60 tube. For Comcast you must "Have at least one child eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program" to qualify for their low income Internet. And most people know what “up to 5 Mbps” means... Crap!
I wonder then since DTV is changing hands and getting a new owner can us customers get out of our contract?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
We play the game with the bravery of being out of range
So they are going to cover New York, Los Angeles and Chicago and leave everyone else with dsl and dialup at the same prices they charge for fiber Got it!
Seriously I can already get fiber through the city whats taking att so long to catch up? And I still have 0 wired options at home other than dialup.
Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
Are you shitting me? Only 12.5 million? Fuck everyone who doesn't live in the right two cities.
Can anyone cite any instance of one cable provider buying another and then seeing the rates go down and selection go up?
When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
Gonna get it together, watch it
Gonna get it together, Ma Bell
I'm like Ma Bell, Got the ill communication
Ma Bell, Got the ill communication
Ma Bell, Got the ill communications (Who's that?)
Ma Bell, Got the ill communication (word 'em up, word-word 'em up)
Ma Bell
Keep it on and on and on...
They are making more money then ever, so the plan worked...for them.
For the consumer, whom one would like to think the FCC, FTC, etc is looking out for....hmm not so great. Oil is 1/2 the price it used to be, yet fares are about 130% Service continues to be shittier (who thought that was even possible) and flight options more limited.
Win-Win (win for CEO win for CEO's spouse)
doesn't work if you've got a teenage daughter. There are a tonne of shows not on netflix/amazon. I suppose I could tell her no, but TV for teens is a social thing. Kinda like how us nerds used to gather round and trade strategies on beating Zelda/Mario. Since most of the shows are on at 8pm (just after most teens finish their Homework but just before bed) it's not practical for her to just go over to her friends house. It's part of a finely honed machine designed to entrap parents...
Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
While your ISP is obviously cordless.
Once "cord cutting" went beyond just terminating your POTS telephone line, the term should have been trashed, it's just dumb calling it that at this point.
I'm not sure how Netflix, et al, is so much better in that respect. Many streaming services are filled largely with those same shows and movies, plus random low-budget stuff. And it's essentially all "bundled" together, including the junk you have no interest in. You can't get a discount for having Netflix or Prime leave out the kids content or the adult-oriented content or shows from specific networks, etc. You pay the same either way, you just have to pay both your ISP and the streaming service now (granted, you likely needed the ISP anyway, but perhaps not as much bandwidth). Then the streaming "rentals" or worse yet "purchases" are still mostly ludicrously priced, DRM'd up the wazoo, and you're usually locked in to that one service provider for all your content.
I honestly don't see how this is actually "better" from an objective standpoint
It might be more flexible and cost-effective to buy physical media and rip it yourself, but technically much more complex to set up and manage streaming your own content to mobile devices, etc.
Anyway, it seems you're defending a company that tries to lure away cable customers using a supposedly hot chick showing off her cleavage on the beach, which a talking horse is supposed to somehow balance out and make "clever" so they won't be _only_ trying to sell with sex (right..). Pretty sure they're marketing directly to the same folks who watch all the crap shows and crap lineups and overlook the unnecessarily bundled packages and content restrictions. Also a company that agreed to be purchased by AT&T. I'm not even convinced they're really better than any cable company, at least in a meaningful way.
haha holy shit where are my mod points today
uMatrix log, slashdot.org
I dunno but it causes safari to hang and crash quite often on my ipad.
Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
DirecTV has been getting more and more expensive and now this.
I went to DirecTV as part of an effort to get away from Comcast and AT&T.
Fuck.
AT&T will simply ignore all conditions placed on them by the FCC. Then pay a cost of business fine, maybe. All while they lobby to get a more amiable corny as the FCC chair.
All hail our new corporate overlords. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. The king is dead, long live the king.
etc.
The writing has been on the wall for years, now: Why are we still here?
Kid-proof tablet..
This acquisition is a win win for consumers and AT&T. Fiber to the premises (fiber to the home) is expanded by 12.5 million. This also gives AT&T the ability to free up bandwidth over twisted pair where it is needed. AT&T is required to maintain net neutrality as well. There will also be more competition for high speed internet as well. This also gives AT&T the ability to compete in foreign markets for satellite TV.