AT&T, the country’s second-largest wireless network, stands to gain if the Time Warner that includes HBO and CNN deal is through legally. In other words whether the monopoly and restrictive trade practice would hamper the deal. That also means the consumers’ interest is not taken care of
The two events in Washington could lead to further consolidation of wireless, cable and content
A spokesperson of Public Knowledge commented “I think this could be a one-two punch to consumers and online competition. The combination of no net neutrality and video consolidation creates new bottlenecks that empower the traditional media industry to raise prices and limit online competition.”
But Americans feel they are “on the wrong side of the digital divide. They are not concerned that Internet service providers are going to block access to lawful content.
The expiring net neutrality protections, adopted at the FCC under President Barack Obama in 2015, for years prevented the likes of AT&T and Comcast from slowing Web connections, blocking access to sites and services, or charging content companies for faster delivery of streaming movies or videos. Such arrangements, known as online “fast lanes” in the eyes of critics, threatened hefty tolls that only the largest businesses could afford to pay, net neutrality advocates warned.
Presently companies like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon have said they would not block or throttle Web access or charge more for faster delivery of online content.”
But some of the staunchest advocates of net neutrality protections insist the telecom industry’s commitments to not block or charge more for the delivery of some content are insufficient, while the FTC lacks the expertise and authority to hold them to account.
