The FCC has given their approval (pdf) of CenturyLink's merger with Qwest. The FCC has imposed several conditions the agency insists will mitigate "the risk of harm to competition," including offering $10 broadband and $150 computers to low income households. The freshly-merged company must also deliver broadband service at speeds of at least 4 Mbps to an additional 4 million households, double the number of current homes that can get 12 Mbps broadband, and triple the number that can get 40 Mbps broadband. The timeline on these requirements isn't specified, but the majority of such requirements are usually things the companies involved had planned to do anyway. CenturyLink of course was only just recently formed after the merger between Sprint spinoff Embarq and CenturyTel.
When was the last time the FCC ever denied approval for a major merger in the telecom sector? If it is going to rubber stamp every merger that comes down the pike, then why even involve it in the approval process?
They have rubber stamped so many that there really isn't a way they can say no. The only companies that probably can't merge are AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon.
They have rubber stamped so many that there really isn't a way they can say no. The only companies that probably can't merge are AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon.
Comcast used to be AT&T. We all know who AT&T is going to buy next.
AT&T doesn't exist anymore. It was split into half a dozen pieces and sold off. What you know as ATT is a company that used to be a baby bell and took the ATT name after buying the last remaining piece of the ATT company and then adopting the ATT name to conceal their origins.
Remember the promises made by Verizon in Pennsylvania?
It is ahead of schedule. Every Verizon CO now has DSLAMs; all it takes is for 50 people to sign up for DSL in a Verizon area and Verizon MUST provide it within one year.
I totally agree and I could see the new company telling the FCC to screw off on this. Especially since netbooks can be had for that price if you shop just right at Wal-Mart and alike.
My income went from 55K to 5K a few months ago, no unemployment in a whistleblowing case... (I quit) I have no cell phone and Nettalk for my phone. No Dish, CC, Fios, TW, Food. But I do have slow naked DSL. Gotta have that IMO.
They must offer 150 dollar PCs to consumers? Am I reading this right? How is their place to make sure the consumer has a PC?
There is an easy explaination for this. With the iPad all but killing off the market for the Netbook what else are they going to do with these cheap turkeys,
They must offer 150 dollar PCs to consumers? Am I reading this right? How is their place to make sure the consumer has a PC?
"The FCC has imposed several conditions the agency insists will mitigate "the risk of harm to competition," including offering $10 broadband and $150 computers to low income households .... the majority of such requirements are usually things the companies involved had planned to do anyway."
Glad to see this finally approved (I think that's everyone involved now); hopefully we'll start to see better routing on Centurylink's network once the two integrate more.
Glad to see this finally approved (I think that's everyone involved now); hopefully we'll start to see better routing on Centurylink's network once the two integrate more.
Don't expect to see changes in the near future, either with Qwest or Cent Link. Think months and years rather than days or weeks.
It's going to take a relatively long time (and plenty of money) to fully integrate the many different systems and processes; it always does.
Glad to see this finally approved (I think that's everyone involved now); hopefully we'll start to see better routing on Centurylink's network once the two integrate more.
Don't expect to see changes in the near future, either with Qwest or Cent Link. Think months and years rather than days or weeks.
It's going to take a relatively long time (and plenty of money) to fully integrate the many different systems and processes; it always does.
I know it won't be overnight--I didn't mean to imply that one bit.