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Groups Want Deal Details
Roberts: AOL deal 'not relevant' to merger
(old news - 02:56PM Monday Nov 04 2002)
tags: legal · competition
With the Comcast merger approval looming, the FCC has fallen under siege by advocacy groups concerned about the secrecy surrounding Comcast's post merger plans with AOL. After ISPs and watchdog groups started pushing for details, Comcast president Brian Roberts started pushing Michael Powell and the FCC for secrecy. According to Roberts, the plan has "no relevance to the merger review." According to the Center for Digital Democracy, the contact between Roberts and Powell "typifies the behind the scene insider lobbying of special interest national politics."

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Forums » Groups Want Deal Details
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Post a:

Mr Attitude

@mindspring.com

I Don't Have To...

...and you can't make me. However, the appearance of potential back door dealings between two communications "megapowers" (AT&T Comcast and AOL Time Warner), coupled with Roberts' push for secrecy regarding details of the deal, do nothing to dispel the "illusion of collusion."
permalink · 2002-11-04 20:54:48 · Reply to this

Jim Gurd
Premium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
·Comcast

AOL over Comcast=Who Cares?

Someone who needs broadband is most likely knowledgeable enough to know that AOL is junk anyway. I can't imagine there will be a whole lot of people who will end up doing this.

Correct me if I'm wrong but BYOA for AOL is now up to $15. Add on the Comcast monthly fee of $45 and now the total monthly cost is $60 for broadband access (plus AOL proprietary content). I just can't see very many people willing to fork out that much money each month.
[text was edited by author 2002-11-04 21:19:35]
permalink · 2002-11-04 21:18:13 · Print · Reply to this

Mr Attitude

@mindspring.co

Maybe That's Not The Point

Let's play a little game - I bet that you can't tell me which shell the pea is under. That's one point. Some of Comcast, AT&T, and AOL Time Warner's business dealings are so intermingled, it is difficult to see where one ends and the other begins. That is point 1.

Point 2 is that Comcast would like to give the illusion of "open access." In some markets, they have Juno Broadband as an option. Juno has basically no features other than X amount of dialup per month and the infamous Juno email. AOL is AOL. The advantage to Comcast of making AOL available is to convince the AOL subscribers to ditch their dial-up modems to give Comcast a piece of the pie. The intent is to migrate the mindless masses who wouldn't know High Speed Internet if it bit them in the butt. For an established Comcast High Speed Internet user, neither offers any real competition.

But what about EarthLink? Same speeds, same lines, etc., so there is no difference in speed. Why not welcome them with open arms? The reason: Features. Look back over the last 10-1/2 months of Comcast High Speed Internet. Email issues. Webmail issues. Problems accessing webspace. Gigglenews. No user accessible network status pages. No dialup available in the rare (your mileage may vary) occurrence that your connection goes down or if you want remote access if you are away from home. Having meaningful competition would demonstrate how pathetic CHSI really is. And it would tend to drive Comcast to get their shit together.

It is much easier to keep people guessing which shell the pea is under.
permalink · 2002-11-04 23:40:33 · Print · Reply to this

Closeminded

@pacbell.n

Merger approved?

I had a call today from AT&T wanting to hire me. I told them I'd rather wait to see if the position was still open if or not the ATT broadband got owned by Comcast.

Funny thing is she told me the merger ALREADY got approved..

WTF is going on here?
permalink · 2002-11-04 21:33:06 · Reply to this

Mr Attitude

@mindspring.co

Re: Merger approved?

There are still a couple of rubber stamps that are needed, but it is basically a sealed deal.

As for AT&T wanting to hire you, is it AT&T Broadband or one of AT&T's other operating units?
permalink · 2002-11-04 23:43:51 · Reply to this

Closeminded

@pacbell.n

Re: Merger approved?

It was their wireless dept..

I keep hearing shitty rumors over the duration of employee's. Told its like Verizon, they hire one person and fire 3
permalink · 2002-11-05 10:40:02 · Reply to this
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