What does AT&T buying DirecTV mean for consumers? A whole lot of bundling

We won’t see the first AT&T-DirecTV wireless-broadband-satellite service package until the summer of 2015 -- assuming the deal goes through. But what would such a bundle look like?

AT&T wants to tie together as many of the two companies’ products and services as possible. Most significantly, AT&T wants to tie the video distribution network more closely to the broadband network.

AT&T doesn’t just want consumers to buy their satellite TV and Internet from the same provider, it may require it -- or at least make it much more costly to separate them.

AT&T said it would continue to offer stand-alone DSL and U-Verse connections at guaranteed prices for three years after the deal’s close. The same goes for DirecTV service.