AT&T-DirecTV merger: Heavy regulatory scrutiny ahead

Congressional lawmakers promised to hold hearings for AT&T's proposed $48.6 billion acquisition of DirecTV, mere months after Comcast's $45 billion proposal to acquire Time Warner Cable.

Analysts monitoring the proceedings say the quick succession of mega-deals in the telecommunications industry could pave the way for other deals between telecom companies and cable and satellite providers, forcing regulators to quickly set a course that will sustain them through a period of predicted consolidation.

"We have seen waves of mergers transform industries, time and time again," said Jeff Kagan, a longtime independent analyst covering the wireless and telecom industries. "They seem to come in waves. There are quite a number of mergers, then nothing for several years. Then it starts again. Comcast with Time Warner Cable and AT&T with DirecTV look like they are trying to start this next wave of mergers."

The two recent mega-deals have certainly caught the eye of the nation's lawmakers.