TechNet: AT&T’s DirecTV Deal Would Improve Internet Access

Tech industry lobbying group TechNet praised AT&T’s $48 billion deal to acquire DirecTV, telling federal regulators that they should consider how it would help get more Americans online.

“TechNet encourages the [Federal Communications Commission] to consider the positive impact that AT&T’s acquisition of DirecTV would have on universal broadband deployment and the very real benefits it will produce for millions of underserved Americans,” the industry group wrote in a letter to the FCC. Not a huge surprise that TechNet would say nice things about the deal, given that AT&T is a member company. It is interesting, however, that TechNet hasn’t said similarly nice things yet about Comcast’s $45 billion deal to acquire Time Warner Cable, even though Comcast is also a TechNet member.