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FCC Set To Approve Charter, Time Warner Cable Merger (dslreports.com)
insitus writes: The FCC is getting close to approving Charter's $79 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks. According to a (paywalled) report in the Wall Street Journal, FCC boss Tom Wheeler is expected to circulate an order among fellow commissioners as early as this week that would approve the deal with some conditions. Those conditions would include provisions requiring Charter deliver low-income broadband to select communities. That paywalled WSJ report is here. The story's also at Ars Technica, among others. From Ars' report: If Charter's acquisitions of TWC and Bright House are approved, Charter would become the nation's second largest Internet service provider after Comcast, with the two companies controlling the majority of high-speed Internet subscriptions. Comcast struck a deal to buy Time Warner Cable in February 2014, but it failed to convince the FCC and Department of Justice to approve that merger. Among other things, the agencies were concerned that a bigger Comcast would try to harm online video providers that need access to Comcast's broadband network.
charter went bankrupt a few years ago due to the crushing costs of upgrading their systems. If you think you are entitled to free or low cost broadband move to northern Europe or southeast Asia. It costs money, and lots of it, to move those bits to your house and Charter or anyone else has a right to recoup the money it invested and a reasonable return as well ... nerd entitlement issues aside. I don't think you have a very solid understanding of the way the world actually works.