Comments on: It’s Confirmed — AT&T Planning To Gobble Up BellSouth, Public Interest Be Damned http://www.mediageek.net/2006/03/its-confirmed-att-planning-to-gobble-up-bellsouth-public-interest-be-damned/ "Eclectic" is just a nice way of saying, "lacking focus" Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:13:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: George http://www.mediageek.net/2006/03/its-confirmed-att-planning-to-gobble-up-bellsouth-public-interest-be-damned/comment-page-1/#comment-8245 George Mon, 06 Mar 2006 15:43:10 +0000 http://www.mediageek.net/?p=1359#comment-8245 The truth is that the FCC isn't the biggest hurdle for this merger. The Justice Department is where the issue of monopoly will be addressed, and where this whole thing can be shut down. I also expect Congressional hearings. The FCC can't come up with new laws to control phone companies. That's in the area of Congress. Keep in mind that in 1996, the Telecom Act deregulated radio, and we saw a wave of consolidation. Five years later, consumers had a bunch of new choices, like satellite, internet radio, podcasts, and now HD Radio. None of that existed in 1996 (although we knew satellite was on the horizon). I predict this merger will lead to the emergence of new companies in this area. New companies that will attempt to fill the voids created by the former baby bells. New companies that will provide access to the internet from other ways. Perhaps satellite internet. Perhaps an increase in municipal internet. Perhaps companies like Google will create their own broadband. They certainly have enough money. Other utility companies might look into this as an area for expansion. There's too much money to be made for any red blooded capitalist to allow it to all go to one company. The truth is that the FCC isn’t the biggest hurdle for this merger. The Justice Department is where the issue of monopoly will be addressed, and where this whole thing can be shut down. I also expect Congressional hearings. The FCC can’t come up with new laws to control phone companies. That’s in the area of Congress.

Keep in mind that in 1996, the Telecom Act deregulated radio, and we saw a wave of consolidation. Five years later, consumers had a bunch of new choices, like satellite, internet radio, podcasts, and now HD Radio. None of that existed in 1996 (although we knew satellite was on the horizon).

I predict this merger will lead to the emergence of new companies in this area. New companies that will attempt to fill the voids created by the former baby bells. New companies that will provide access to the internet from other ways. Perhaps satellite internet. Perhaps an increase in municipal internet. Perhaps companies like Google will create their own broadband. They certainly have enough money. Other utility companies might look into this as an area for expansion. There’s too much money to be made for any red blooded capitalist to allow it to all go to one company.

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