Marc Andreessen wants the AT&T-DirecTV deal to go through

Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen is urging federal regulators to approve AT&T's massive, $49 billion bid for DirecTV, arguing it would help push "both broadband and video to a larger portion of the country."

In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, Andreessen said the deal would help promote the rollout of broadband infrastructure, which would help the economy. "The merger will result in a much broader, rural wireless footprint," Andreessen wrote, "as well as deeper fiber penetration." It's an argument that could resonate with the FCC, which has actively looked for ways to press for more broadband. In places that are poorly served by Internet providers, for example, the agency wants to help cities build their own high-speed data networks. Its net neutrality efforts are predicated on the idea of a "virtuous circle" of investment and rising demand for Internet applications. Andreessen clearly thinks the AT&T-DirecTV deal is consistent with those interests. But consumer advocates warn that it isn't so simple.