Perfect time to rename the company to "usher in a new era of innovation". How about calling the new AT&T Bell? Because this merged company will be way worse an anticompetitive monopoly than the exploitative operator of the US switched phone network ever could have been.
AT&T Cleared by Judge to Buy Time Warner
61–70 of 284 posts
Re: AT&T Cleared by Judge to Buy Time Warner
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
This has nothing to do with the broadband market. Time Warner Cable was spun off from Time Warner in 2009 and subsequently bought up by Spectrum in 2016.
It has plenty to do with the broadband market, if you happen to be an AT&T subscriber, and especially if they're your only choice. This, coupled with their no longer being restrained from the kinds of shenanigans that NN barred, positions them to force preferential choices on their subscribers and wring more money out of them for the privilege of accessing competing services. This is only good for people holding T an…
I would certainly agree with that but your original comment was specifically about competition in the broadband market, which this deal has absolutely zero effect on and your post seemed to be based on the common misunderstanding of TWC still being part of TW.
Re: AT&T Cleared by Judge to Buy Time Warner
#63Mergers like this are required to keep competition and the free market alive.
Could you please not post unsubstantive comments to Hacker News?
Re: AT&T Cleared by Judge to Buy Time Warner
#64Re: AT&T Cleared by Judge to Buy Time Warner
#65Good grief. Why can't we stop all this consolidation already?
This is only good for shareholders. The cons clearly outweigh the pros for consumers.
Re: AT&T Cleared by Judge to Buy Time Warner
#66FYI, this isn't the internet Time Warner. This is the entertainment Time Warner. The internet Time Warner is run by Spectrum these days.
Does that really matter? Just because it isn't becoming an Internet monopoly, it's still a content+distribution mega-corp that can squeeze its competitors and limit options for consumers.
It matters when ~50% of the comments are talking about net neutrality and Time Warner Cable hasn't existed for more than two years.
Re: AT&T Cleared by Judge to Buy Time Warner
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
It has plenty to do with the broadband market, if you happen to be an AT&T subscriber, and especially if they're your only choice. This, coupled with their no longer being restrained from the kinds of shenanigans that NN barred, positions them to force preferential choices on their subscribers and wring more money out of them for the privilege of accessing competing services. This is only good for people holding T an…
I would certainly agree with that but your original comment was specifically about competition in the broadband market , which this deal has absolutely zero effect on and your post seemed to be based on the common misunderstanding of TWC still being part of TW.
Sloppy and emotionally-driven phrasing on my part, sorry. I hope my edit and follow-up to yours have clarified my position.
Re: AT&T Cleared by Judge to Buy Time Warner
#68The courts seem to be letting telecoms consolidate to a degree that is unprecedented (Bell, at least, had a fairly narrow scope), because they think the internet means these companies have competition. I think they're severely under-estimating the power these companies have and the risk that these mergers create to both consumers and our democracy.
Re: AT&T Cleared by Judge to Buy Time Warner
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
This has nothing to do with the broadband market. Time Warner Cable was spun off from Time Warner in 2009 and subsequently bought up by Spectrum in 2016.
It has plenty to do with the broadband market, if you happen to be an AT&T subscriber, and especially if they're your only choice. This, coupled with their no longer being restrained from the kinds of shenanigans that NN barred, positions them to force preferential choices on their subscribers and wring more money out of them for the privilege of accessing competing services. This is only good for people holding T an…
That's one of my complaints when courts pretend to rule in favor of stock holders rights. In practice there is an inherent conflict of interest between management and the stockholders whose interests are diverse and barely represented.
Re: AT&T Cleared by Judge to Buy Time Warner
#70This is a distribution company -- internet, cable TV, satellite -- acquiring a content company (the communications portion of Time Warner was spun off as Spectrum). Isn't this just a vertical integration?
Time Warner's cable business was spun off as Time Warner Cable , which Charter Communications later acquired. Charter's cable/internet/tv brand is Spectrum.
You are right -- I stand corrected.