Dish Could Be a Fine Competitor in Wireless – That’s Not the Point.
December 20, 2019 5G , Anticompetitive mergers , Antitrust , DISH , DISH Network , DOJ , FCC , Litigation , Spectrum , Sprint , Sprint/T-Mobile , T-Mobile , Wireless CompetitionThis week was the T-Mobile/Sprint merger trial’s second week, and it focused on the Department of Justice’s proposed remedy: having the combined TMO/Sprint spin off a number of assets to DISH and provide DISH with a bunch of other spectrum and network access rights to enable DISH to enter the market as a competing fourth […]
Read MoreWhat’s Next for Net Neutrality
October 2, 2019 FCC , Legislation , Litigation , Net Neutrality , Title IIAs you may have heard, the long-awaited decision in Mozilla v. FCC came out yesterday. First the bad news: The Federal Communications Commission won on the main issue, which is broadband reclassification. But there’s good news, too, in that the Court completely rejected the FCC’s attempts to prevent states from passing their own net neutrality […]
Read MoreMaking the Digital Transition an “Upgrade for All” Again
August 26, 2019 Litigation , National Network Upgrade , Rural Broadband Downgrade , Tech Transition , Tech TransitionsYou can watch Harold Feld and Lindsay Stern present oral arguments for the case discussed below tomorrow at 9 a.m. PDT here. Across the nation, surprised Americans are waking to discover that their copper line — this landmark technology once used to connect America to the telephone system — doesn’t work. These unfortunate Americans are no longer […]
Read MoreAT&T Raises Prices After Merger Approval, Proves DoJ Was Right to Sue
March 13, 2019 AT&T , ATTTime Warner , DOJ , Litigation , Time Warner CableIn light of AT&T’s decision to raise the prices on DirecTV Now subscribers by $10/month, and to drop channels like MTV, Comedy Central, BET, and BBC America (while adding more AT&T-owned content to the bundle), it’s worth reviewing some of what the telecom giant claimed during the recent trial over its merger with Time Warner:
Read MoreThe FCC Can — and Should — Update Its Rules to Combat Rising Cross-Ownership
February 25, 2019 Competition , FCC , Litigation , Media Ownership , MergersThe Federal Communications Commission is required by law to review its media ownership rules every four years to determine whether they remain “necessary in the public interest.” If they do not, the FCC is to “repeal or modify” the regulations. Contrary to the apparent belief of the FCC, the Quadrennial Review is not simply about eliminating or relaxing rules. Rather, the purpose of the review is to serve the public interest. Therefore, when the FCC decides whether to keep, repeal, or modify current rules, some rules may need to be enhanced.
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