FCC Review of Charter-TWC Merger Focusing on Broadband Impact

Regulators weighing Charter’s $55.1 billion bid for Time Warner Cable are focusing on how the merger would affect Internet service. Requests for information were sent by the Federal Communications Commission to companies including top telephone providers AT&T and Verizon, largest cable provider Comcast, online video leader Netflix and Internet-traffic carrier Cogent Communications. This is the second time the FCC has asked questions related to the merger’s impact on broadband service. The agency in Sept asked Charter for documents about its customer gains or losses to Web video and whether that has slowed or blocked access to rival services.

The FCC is in early stages of its review, having reached the 32nd day toward its informal 180-day deadline for deciding the merger. Questions from the agency, in the requests sent Oct. 9, included whether AT&T and Verizon plan to offer faster Internet service and how those companies and Comcast use data caps. The letters also asked Cogent and Netflix to offer comment on Charter’s pledge not to charge for accepting traffic onto its network.