What's New:
As you may have heard, the FCC approved the merger of XM and Sirius
Satellite Radio this week, paving the way for Sirius XM Radio, a
satellite radio provider with over 18.5 million subscribers. Here are a
few quick thoughts from Public Knowledge on the final merger conditions:
-
We are pleased that the Commission has largely adopted all of the
conditions we asked for and that it has added others that will ensure
that the merger is in the public interest. -
We are disappointed that the Commission chose to measure the set-aside
by full-time audio channels rather than the entire spectrum capacity.
This permits the new company to reduce its obligation by using more of
its channel capacity for video and data channels. -
We would like the Commission to clarify that third party manufacturers
of satellite radio devices do not have to undergo testing by the
combined company and that quality and assurance review by an
independent testing body is sufficient. -
Even though the Commission did not require an independent "monitor
trustee" or "corporate compliance officer" to oversee implementation of
the conditions, we appreciate the Commission's clear statement that the
conditions are "fully enforceable by the Commission."
While many in the public advocacy community opposed the merger outright,
Public Knowledge realized that the merger had a strong chance of being
approved and worked throughout the process to ensure that public interest
conditions would be attached. Thanks to these public interest conditions,
the formation of Sirius XM Radio will present a number of exciting
possibilities for customers of both companies. As Public Knowledge
President and Co-Founder Gigi Sohn puts it, “Consumers will be
better off than had the merger been granted without any conditions."
Thanks to all of you for supporting us and for making your voices heard
during the merger process!
For more on the XM Sirius merger, see this statement from Public
Knowledge President and Co-Founder, Gigi Sohn
FCC Decision on Comcast Due This
Friday
On Friday, the FCC will conclude its investigation into cable provider
Comcast's throttling of BitTorrent traffic. The FCC is widely expected to
rule against Comcast, thereby enforcing the nondiscrimination principles
outlined in its 2005 Internet Policy Statement. Such a ruling would
represent the first affirmation of the rights of Internet users by the
FCC since Internet services were exempted from the protections of the
Communications Act in 2005 and could mark the beginning of active FCC
involvement in issues relating to Net Neutrality. At the very least, it
will serve as a warning to any other Internet service providers who are
considering deploying similar technologies in their networks. Many thanks
are due to the public interest groups, companies, academics and
policymakers who have worked tirelessly for years to drum up support for
a neutral Internet.
For more on the FCC's impending decision on Comcast, see this blog post.
Related issues: Broadband |
Comcast
| Network
Neutrality
