FCC to AT&T: About those net neutrality threats …

[Veilex]

This week, AT&T engaged in a little extortion over net neutrality, when CEO Randall Stephenson said that the company would halt its efforts to extend new high-speed Internet connections in 100 U.S. cities because of the possibility that the Federal Communications Commission might impose net neutrality regulations. This attempt by the company to throw their weight around on the issue apparently did not amuse the FCC, which has called the company's bluff.

The agency emailed AT&T Friday asking for more information about that announcement, including "all documents" related to that decision.
The request may not be great news for AT&T, which still needs the FCC to sign off on its $48 billion deal to acquire DirecTV. Stephenson’s threat to stop the company's fiber build-out may help bolster the case of Internet providers that net neutrality rules advocated by President Obama would hurt investment in networks. But it doesn't help the case with regulators that allow AT&T to buy DirecTV will expand high-speed broadband access to millions of Americans who currently can't get it.

FCC officials also want to know if AT&T's financial model "demonstrates that fiber deployment is now unprofitable" and whether laying fiber to more than two million homes after the DirecTV acquisition "would be unprofitable." AT&T has a week to respond.

*snip*

More at the link:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/14/1344980/-FCC-to-AT-T-About-those-net-neutrality-nbsp-threats?detail=facebook

[MissB]

1. Ha!