FCC chief doesn’t plan to review AT&T–Time Warner merger.

[Pull Up the Roots]

FCC chief doesn’t plan to review AT&T–Time Warner merger.

FCC chairman Ajit Pai said today that he doesn’t expect the commission to review AT&T’s purchase of Time Warner, clearing the way for the Justice Department to very likely approve the deal.

Pai has long been critical of the FCC putting conditions on mergers and even signaled in the past that he’d be okay with a mega-merger like the one proposed between Comcast and Time Warner Cable (which is a different company than Time Warner) in 2014, so today’s announcement isn’t altogether surprising.

The commission’s lone Democrat said the merger “is ripe for review”
AT&T said from the start of this proceeding that it didn’t expect the FCC to review the transaction, because there would be no transfer of wireless licenses (or Time Warner could sell off the few it currently has). On stage at Mobile World Congress today, Pai essentially said that argument is good enough for him.

“That is the regulatory hook for FCC review,” Pai said, according to The Wall Street Journal. “My understanding is that the deal won’t be presented to the commission.”

The FCC’s lone Democratic commissioner, Mignon Clyburn, said last week that she believed the commission can and should review the merger. But Pai has more-or-less said that he isn’t planning to go out of his way to review a merger unless it’s plopped on his desk, and AT&T sure doesn’t plan to put it there.


FCC chief doesn’t plan to review AT&T–Time Warner merger

Trump's stance during the election:

Trump: I would block AT&T/Time Warner merger "Deals like this destroy Democracy"

Trump today:

While President Trump said on the campaign trail that his administration “will not approve” the AT&T–Time Warner merger, he hasn’t touched on the issue in the months since the election and even had what appeared to be a cheery meeting with AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson in mid-January. There’s no indication so far that his Justice Department will move to block the merger; and with the FCC declining review, the toughest regulator of the deal is now out of the picture.

 

[ORDER_66]

what in THEE fukk?!!

 

[88m3]

 

[Pull Up the Roots]

FCC reverses net neutrality ISP transparency rules.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has voted to roll back some net neutrality regulations that require broadband providers to inform customers about their network management practices.

The Republican-controlled FCC on Thursday suspended the net neutrality transparency requirements for broadband providers with fewer than 250,000 subscribers. Critics called the decision anticonsumer.

The transparency rule, waived for five years in a 2-1 party-line vote Thursday, requires broadband providers to explain to customers their pricing models and fees as well as their network management practices and the impact on broadband service.

FCC reverses net neutrality ISP transparency rules

The commission had previously exempted ISPs with fewer than 100,000 subscribers, but Thursday's decision expands the number of ISPs not required to inform customers. Only about 20 U.S. ISPs have more than 250,000 subscribers.

Today, this only applies to smaller ISPs, but Pai plans to roll back regulations completely.

For anyone not familiar with Pai:

Mr. Pai is a veteran telecommunications lawyer, who has shifted in and out of government. He worked for Verizon from 2001 to 2003 and served as deputy general counselor at the F.C.C. from 2007 to 2011. In 2013, President Obama appointed him as a minority Republican commissioner.

Mr. Pai has a drastically different view on competition in telecommunications than Mr. Wheeler. Mr. Pai has said web firms such as Google and Facebook are competitors to wireless, cable and broadcast companies in voice calls, messaging and streaming video. The F.C.C. under Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Pai said, strapped too many rules on internet service providers without providing real evidence that consumers were harmed without regulations.

 

[88m3]

ugh

 

[DEAD7]

This is a twist

 

[Pressure]

They probably don't have enough resources to review anyway in our new streamlined government.

 

[DEAD7]

They probably don't have enough resources to review anyway in our new streamlined government.

right on time

 

[Maschine_Man]

 

[Dr. Acula]

vote republican brehs.

 

[GnauzBookOfRhymes]

They made that pre inauguration trek to Trump tower. Can only imagine the bribes that were so carefully solicited and agreed upon during those meetings.

 

[Breh13]

Seriously hope something devastating happens to this FCC Chief.

 

[SAJ!!]

The Orange Goblin In Chief scammed folks again.

 

[hatealot]

Change title to Time warner cable instead of time warner. I've worked for for a few telecommunication companies and honestly with the hate that ISP receive they are trying to merge resources to provide much higher quality services. If you worked in the industry it is strictly regulated on how wires are ran and how territory is split up by municipal and city regulators. I feel the old laws are prohibiting these large utlitly companies from making the best of their resources. It is time for them to merge and provide the best internet services, in certain parts of Asia they are getting much higher speeds for lower prices. Just because these companies want to merge doesn't mean its all bad.