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FCC Set To Approve Charter, Time Warner Cable Merger (dslreports.com)

Posted by timothy on from the picking-winners dept.

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.

7 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. provisions requiring ... low-income broadband by spacepimp · · Score: 3, Informative

    When there is no consequence to failing to meet the low income broadband and other conditions, then there really are no conditions whatsoever on the merger. So this is a win for industry consolidation and competition shakedown.

  2. No competition by Virtucon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    No competition means no choice and higher prices. If you have two or three possible broadband providers that can service your business or home, consolidating 3 or 2 into 1 doesn't improve competitiveness or deliver better service; it just drives up your costs for crappy service. TWC isn't starving, neither is Charter so why do this other than to grease pockets of merger and acquisition lawyers and gouge consumers?

    --
    Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
    1. Re:No competition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      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.

  3. This will save money for customers! by Lew+Perin · · Score: 2

    After all, the newly merged company will be able to cut down on duplicative lobbyist staffing. Is this a win-win or what?!

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    Sorry, I forgot there are ads on the Web; I use Lynx.
  4. Re:maybe not so bad by king+neckbeard · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That's precisely why I'm so concerned. They are about the only major ISP that doesn't complete suck, and TWC might end up making Charter service worse.

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    This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
  5. There is a bright side by robot256 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    On the bright side, once we are left with only one commercial broadband provider in the entire country, there will be absolutely NO illusion of competition anywhere in the country. Maybe then someone will fight for more options. Or just take their big fat lobbyist paycheck and go home.

  6. Whipslash, can we work on... by EzInKy · · Score: 2

    ...forbidding any "paywalled" links in summaries? They are very irritating to those of us who truly wish to research an article. Seriously, what is the point of providing citations that everyone can't verify freely?

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    Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.