Dish Network and Incompas urged the FCC to reject Verizon's planned buy of XO Communications and related spectrum leasing arrangements. The deal "will have serious anticompetitive horizontal and vertical effects" in mobile and Internet markets, said Dish, in its petition to deny Tuesday in Wireline Bureau docket 16-70. In its petition to deny, Incompas, which has XO as a member, said the proposed transactions "pose serious threats to competition and consumer welfare." Public Knowledge recently expressed similar concerns in a filing on a meeting with FCC officials. Pushback against the Verizon/XO deal had been expected by some (see 1602220071).
Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., lauded the FCC’s Thursday vote on special access (see 1604280057). “I’ve been advocating for just this type of action over the last decade, and I’m very happy to see the Commission taking this critical next step,” said Doyle, a Communications Subcommittee member. “These new reforms come on the heels of a landmark agreement between Verizon and INCOMPAS to reform the business data service market. I’m very pleased that these stakeholders could come together and work with the Commission to establish a path towards reform.”
Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., lauded the FCC’s Thursday vote on special access (see 1604280057). “I’ve been advocating for just this type of action over the last decade, and I’m very happy to see the Commission taking this critical next step,” said Doyle, a Communications Subcommittee member. “These new reforms come on the heels of a landmark agreement between Verizon and INCOMPAS to reform the business data service market. I’m very pleased that these stakeholders could come together and work with the Commission to establish a path towards reform.”
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.
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.