Comcast's Arbogast: TWC Deal Reflects Reality That Regional Model Is Untenable

Rebecca Arbogast, VP of global public policy for Comcast, framed the proposed Time Warner Cable merger as a no antitrust harm, no foul meld that would benefit TWC subscribers without reducing, and indeed increasing, competition.

She also calls it a recognition that the regional cable model is no longer working. At a Free State Foundation telecom conference in Washington on March 18, Arbogast said the deal reflects market realities.

"The simple fact is that times have changed, and so the regional model of cable footprints just isn't tenable any longer given that the companies we're competing against have national footprints and it's important to be able to have that scale, not just to expand the speed and get the deep video libraries, but also to do things that are kind of hidden behind the scenes."

She cited cybersecurity, for one. "You really need to have a base over which to spread that research and development."

On the subject of the deal increasing competition, she cited creating a stronger business services competitor to incumbents AT&T and Verizon. She said that element does not get a lot of attention from the advocacy groups, "but I think is incredibly important for economic growth and development and jobs."