Tom Wheeler hasn't reached the point in his FCC chairmanship where he will be unable to launch new major rulemakings, but if he wants to wrap them up before the Nov. 8 election he will need to start them soon, officials said. Last week, Wheeler started what's expected to be his final nine months as chairman. The FCC didn't comment.
That Comcast would have fared better in its failed attempt to buy Time Warner Cable if it had taken an approach like Charter Communications is unlikely, industry experts tell us. Since Comcast/TWC would have created a company with incentive for stifling competition, "the best path was still denial instead of specific conditions," said John Bergmayer, Public Knowledge senior staff attorney. The FCC and Justice Department Monday made public potential conditions on Charter's purchases of Bright House Networks and TWC (see 1604250039).
That Comcast would have fared better in its failed attempt to buy Time Warner Cable if it had taken an approach like Charter Communications is unlikely, industry experts tell us. Since Comcast/TWC would have created a company with incentive for stifling competition, "the best path was still denial instead of specific conditions," said John Bergmayer, Public Knowledge senior staff attorney. The FCC and Justice Department Monday made public potential conditions on Charter's purchases of Bright House Networks and TWC (see 1604250039).
The FCC’s net neutrality order continued to spur lobbying activity more than a year after the agency adopted it. Q1 lobbying disclosure reports showed much evidence of net neutrality issues keeping industry lobbyists busy. Capitol Hill observers and lobbyists told us the pending U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruling on the industry net neutrality challenge, which could be released any week, has the potential to kick up intense lobbying throughout Q2 and perhaps beyond.
The FCC’s net neutrality order continued to spur lobbying activity more than a year after the agency adopted it. Q1 lobbying disclosure reports showed much evidence of net neutrality issues keeping industry lobbyists busy. Capitol Hill observers and lobbyists told us the pending U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruling on the industry net neutrality challenge, which could be released any week, has the potential to kick up intense lobbying throughout Q2 and perhaps beyond.
Facebook became the latest Internet edge heavyweight to join Incompas, the trade group said Thursday in a release. Other recent additions include Amazon, Google Fiber, Netflix, Rocket Fiber, TiVo, T-Mobile and Twitter.
Facebook became the latest Internet edge heavyweight to join Incompas, the trade group said Thursday in a release. Other recent additions include Amazon, Google Fiber, Netflix, Rocket Fiber, TiVo, T-Mobile and Twitter.
The ongoing strike against Verizon could affect Verizon’s bottom line, Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said Thursday on an analysts call as the carrier released Q1 results. Shammo said Verizon may have to update full-year guidance, depending on how the labor negotiations go in coming weeks. Nearly 40,000 Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers members went on strike last week (see 1604130031).
The cable industry sought to head off possible FCC regulation of its business data services (BDS) that could be teed up under a draft Further NPRM. Cable regulation would fly in the face of Chairman Tom Wheeler's resistance to rate regulation of broadband providers in the net neutrality context, cable officials said. "Nothing in the record of this long-running proceeding remotely supports reversal" of four decades of "highly streamlined" treatment of facilities-based new entrants in a market, NCTA said Wednesday and Thursday, summarizing its meetings with senior FCC officials, including one attended by other cable players. It's doubtful cable "best efforts" services would be subjected to rate regulation in this proceeding, industry stakeholders told us Thursday, but some said other cable BDS offerings could be.
The ongoing strike against Verizon could affect Verizon’s bottom line, Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said Thursday on an analysts call as the carrier released Q1 results. Shammo said Verizon may have to update full-year guidance, depending on how the labor negotiations go in coming weeks. Nearly 40,000 Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers members went on strike last week (see 1604130031).