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Should Comcast Be Investigated For Antitrust Violations? (theverge.com)
The American Cable Association (ACA), an industry group that represents over 700 small and medium-sized cable operators, wants antitrust regulators to investigate whether Comcast-NBCUniversal is abusing its power to hurt smaller television and internet service providers. The group has "asked U.S. Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim to 'immediately' open an investigation into Comcast's practices," reports The Verge. Comcast is denying the claims, and while the Justice Department hasn't publicly responded, that may change soon. President Donald Trump tweeted about the ACA's claims earlier this afternoon. From the report: The ACA claims Comcast has a uniquely powerful hold on the U.S. cable industry because it controls a large chunk of "must have" programming like NBC's regional sports channels. The group argues that the Comcast "has shown a willingness to harm rivals" in the past, even while bound by a 2011 consent decree that expired earlier this year. The letter is dated November 6th but was published today, after Fox Business Networks reported on its existence last week.
Contra Trump's description, the letter doesn't seem to describe "routine" violations of antitrust law. It's primarily arguing that there's a huge risk of Comcast abusing its market position, while explaining just how much damage could result if Comcast did so. The ACA has put forward more concrete claims in the past, though -- like a 2017 complaint that Comcast was forcing smaller cable providers to bundle unwanted NBC-owned channels into TV packages, driving up their costs. The ACA's letter also raises concerns involving Hulu, suggesting that Comcast could effectively hold the service hostage. "We have heard from ACA members that they fear that ComcastNBCU may restrict, if it is not already restricting, their ability to access Hulu and make it available to their customers as an alternative to their cable offerings," reads the letter.
Contra Trump's description, the letter doesn't seem to describe "routine" violations of antitrust law. It's primarily arguing that there's a huge risk of Comcast abusing its market position, while explaining just how much damage could result if Comcast did so. The ACA has put forward more concrete claims in the past, though -- like a 2017 complaint that Comcast was forcing smaller cable providers to bundle unwanted NBC-owned channels into TV packages, driving up their costs. The ACA's letter also raises concerns involving Hulu, suggesting that Comcast could effectively hold the service hostage. "We have heard from ACA members that they fear that ComcastNBCU may restrict, if it is not already restricting, their ability to access Hulu and make it available to their customers as an alternative to their cable offerings," reads the letter.
Comcast should be investigated for antitrust violations because every single company that size and larger should be investigated for antitrust violations.
If we would just make a serious example of a few huge corporations that fuck over their customers, all of our lives would be better.
You are welcome on my lawn.
You've got to be kidding me. Their stated business plan is establishing a global communications monopoly and then metering and throttling the everliving shit out of it's traffic. They were flagrantly in violation of net neutrality laws for years before they got repealed. They still practice traffic shaping that has nothing to do with improving service quality for anyone, and when you call to complain about it they insinuate that anyone using an encrypted connection for something other than to log into Facebook is a pirate. What is to investigate here? Seriously?
If ever a headline with a question mark needed a yes...it's this one!
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
This highlights the bigger problem. There isn't actually a free market, which is the main reason why monopolies and oligopolies form in the first place.
Once a corrupt player can become big enough, they'll bribe/coerce their way to getting the rules changed in ways that favor them and punish or prevent competition. Regulations are great for that. It makes it appear to the people that they're being reigned in, but in reality, it's not much more than a minor inconvenience to them as a the big fish, but overwhelmingly cost prohibitive to any newcomer to the market. Regulations can be a solid investment to the corrupt monopolist.