Fergie's Tech Blog

Stalemate Keeps AT& T-BellSouth Merger Off of FCC's Agenda

Alan Sipress writes in The Washington Post:

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin said yesterday he did not know how soon it would consider AT&T's proposed $86 billion acquisition of BellSouth after the deal was left off the agenda for Wednesday's meeting because of a continuing stalemate between the commission's Republican and Democratic members.

Martin, an advocate of the merger, told reporters he was "anxious" to set a date for the vote, which would create the country's largest provider of telephone, wireless and broadband services. AT&T and BellSouth have waited more than seven months for the commission to act despite Martin's efforts earlier this year to win quick approval of the transaction without conditions.

The FCC has repeatedly delayed voting on the merger in recent months because of a stalemate between Republican supporters of the deal and their Democratic counterparts, who want to impose safeguards meant to protect consumers and ensure competition within the industry.

One of the main obstacles is disagreement over whether to require a "net neutrality" condition that would bar AT&T from asking different Internet services to pay different prices for using its lines.

posted by Fergie @ 12/15/2006 09:47:00 AM