Posted on 03/02/2015 8:38:32 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
Federal regulators overseeing Comcast’s proposed merger with Time Warner Cable want to know if the cable giants put limits on companies’ streaming video options.
In letters last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asked eight major programmers including Walt Disney Co., Viacom and CBS whether or not the companies placed any “restrictions or limitations” on their ability to distribute TV shows over the Internet.
While the FCC has been tight-lipped about the merger process, the focus on online video shows concern about control over the next generation of online television.
The ongoing focus also shows that regulators aren’t letting the deal off easy after issuing new net neutrality rules last week. Analysts have wondered whether the regulations — which institute the toughest ever rules for Internet service providers by treating them as a public utility — might spell peril for the Comcast merger.
The new inquiry follows conditions handed down in Comcast’s 2011 acquisition of NBCUniversal that prevented Comcast from restricting how programmers distribute video online.
In addition to Viacom, Walt Disney and CBS, the FCC’s letters were sent to Twenty-First Century Fox, Time Warner, Univision, Discovery and Scripps Networks Interactive. The companies were told to respond to the inquiries by March 13.
It has begun.
http://money.cnn.com/2014/04/14/technology/netflix-comcast/
http://time.com/96831/netflix-comcast-speeds-get-boost/
http://time.com/62903/netflix-comcast-speed-boost/
Verizon also:
http://www.extremetech.com/computing/186576-verizon-caught-throttling-netflix-traffic-even-after-its-pays-for-more-bandwidth
http://www.cnet.com/news/comcast-vs-netflix-is-this-really-about-net-neutrality/
http://consumerist.com/2014/02/23/netflix-agrees-to-pay-comcast-to-end-slowdown/
Didn’t take them long to get started either...
In reality Verizon and Comcrap likely DID pull some shenanigans. Services like Netflix are a dagger aimed at the heart of their cable TV business.
By getting too cute they provoked a populist backlash.
Inviting the Obamatrons to ride in and save the day.
Won’t be the last time we see this cycle repeated I fear.
This whole Net Neutrality issue is simply B.S.!
Look, if you drive a big truck, and you want to go faster than normal traffic, you have to pay a HIGHER TOLL on speedier services (TOLL ROADS)!!
How come the government isn’t out regulating these toll road authorities and complaining about how it is wrong to charge big users more money for big use items?!?!
It is the same thing! It isn’t about the availability, it is about the CONTROL - which the FCC just gave themselves!
This needs to DIE! PERIOD!!
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