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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/26/technology/charter-time-warner-cable-bright-house-cable-deal.html
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| Regulators Approve Charter Communications Deal for Time Warner Cable | Regulators Approve Charter Communications Deal for Time Warner Cable |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| WASHINGTON — Federal regulators announced on Monday that they have approved Charter Communications’ acquisitions of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks in deals valued at $65.5 billion, ushering in further consolidation of the broadband industry. | |
| The approvals create a broadband and cable television juggernaut at a time when consumers rely on the Internet as a utility but see their prices increase with few options for providers. | The approvals create a broadband and cable television juggernaut at a time when consumers rely on the Internet as a utility but see their prices increase with few options for providers. |
| To address those concerns, the Federal Communications Commission and Justice Department imposed strong restrictions on the deals, including an order from the Justice Department that strictly prohibits the combined company from entering anticompetive deals with programmers that would keep shows and movies off streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. | To address those concerns, the Federal Communications Commission and Justice Department imposed strong restrictions on the deals, including an order from the Justice Department that strictly prohibits the combined company from entering anticompetive deals with programmers that would keep shows and movies off streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. |
| The F.C.C. also imposed conditions to its approval to protect the nascent video streaming industry. The agency said Charter agreed that for seven years it will not impose data caps on users and will abide by so-called net neutrality rules, even if the rules are overturned in a separate federal appeals court case. | The F.C.C. also imposed conditions to its approval to protect the nascent video streaming industry. The agency said Charter agreed that for seven years it will not impose data caps on users and will abide by so-called net neutrality rules, even if the rules are overturned in a separate federal appeals court case. |
| “The cumulative impact of these conditions will be to provide additional protection for new forms of video programming services offered over the Internet,” Tom Wheeler, the F.C.C. chairman, said in a statement. He added there would be an independent monitor to ensure compliance with the conditions. | “The cumulative impact of these conditions will be to provide additional protection for new forms of video programming services offered over the Internet,” Tom Wheeler, the F.C.C. chairman, said in a statement. He added there would be an independent monitor to ensure compliance with the conditions. |
| The combined firm will form the second-largest broadband provider, controlling 19.4 million broadband subscribers. It will also become the third-largest video provider, after Comcast and DirecTV, with 17.3 million customers. | The combined firm will form the second-largest broadband provider, controlling 19.4 million broadband subscribers. It will also become the third-largest video provider, after Comcast and DirecTV, with 17.3 million customers. |
| The prospect of so much combined power by one company has drawn strong protest from consumer groups and some tech companies, most notably Dish Network, which fears its Sling TV streaming video services could be threatened by Charter. Dish has fought against the cable industry mergers, including Comcast’s failed bid for Time Warner Cable in 2014, citing concerns that Comcast had the incentive to give its cable TV and own streaming service preferential treatment to consumers over competitors like Sling TV, Netflix and other streaming providers. | The prospect of so much combined power by one company has drawn strong protest from consumer groups and some tech companies, most notably Dish Network, which fears its Sling TV streaming video services could be threatened by Charter. Dish has fought against the cable industry mergers, including Comcast’s failed bid for Time Warner Cable in 2014, citing concerns that Comcast had the incentive to give its cable TV and own streaming service preferential treatment to consumers over competitors like Sling TV, Netflix and other streaming providers. |