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With T-Mobile tearing up the wireless industry, what's a carrier to do? If you're AT&T, start looking outside the wireless business. AT&T doesn't want to be known as just a telecommunication company anymore. It's using its DirecTV Now streaming service to take control of what you watch and of how you watch it. AT&T owns one of the key services delivering you video through its acquisition last year of DirecTV, and with its pending deal to buy Time Warner, it wants to be the company behind "Game of Thrones" and Superman. But even the Man of Steel can't rescue AT&T as it continues to fall victim to stiff competition that's eroding its core wireless business. Smaller rivals Sprint and T-Mobile have been scooping up its subscribers. It's the same trend that has forced Verizon to make its own acquisitions, although Verizon's bets, like those in AOL and Yahoo, have been relatively smaller ones.

Just two years after adopting its network neutrality rules, the Federal Communications Commission could be on the cusp of tearing them down. Recent comments by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) tease out the underlying argument that the FCC and Republicans will use to dismantle the rules governing internet traffic: that the stricter regulations are just bad for business. It's a recurring theme in many of the actions that the Trump Administration has taken, from slashing funds that would support President Barack Obama's climate and water regulations to the revival of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines.

While it's not certain how they'll dismantle the 2015 rules -- whether it's a new rule-making process from the FCC or through legislation by Congress -- what's clear is they'll likely dangle the promise of a faster move to innovative services like 5G technology for consumers.

A primer on FCC Privacy news.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has wasted no time in scaling back rules passed by his Democratic predecessor, Tom Wheeler. This includes putting the brakes on new rules that govern what companies can do with your online data. Proponents like consumer advocacy groups argue that the rules protect your privacy, while internet service providers say that the regulations are too strict and don't apply to online companies like Facebook and Google. Regardless of whether you think the FCC or the Federal Trade Commission should be the top cop policing internet privacy, the issue of online security isn't going away anytime soon.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai often goes out of his way to be nice. He always has a kind word for colleagues, even when they stand on the opposite side of the aisles. "He made the chairman's life miserable," said Gigi Sohn, a former adviser to the previous head, Tom Wheeler, in reference to their constant ideological clashes. "But I like him. Everyone likes him."

This nice guy is no pushover, though. The 44-year-old chairman has already introduced a number of programs and steered the FCC in a different direction from his predecessor. And he's still gearing up for his biggest move: the takedown of many of the regulations that protect net neutrality, the concept that all internet traffic must be treated as equal. Supporters of the regulations say loosening the rules will only tighten the control that broadband and wireless companies wield today, likely resulting in higher prices for consumers and fewer choices in services. "He's a great guy to have a beer with," Sohn said. "But don't be fooled. He's in favor of dismantling net neutrality and other consumer-friendly policies, and he'll do it with a smile."

Tom Wheeler wasn't expected to be a hero of the open internet. But that's how the outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman will be remembered when he leaves his office in January.

In 2015, Chairman Wheeler, a telecom-lobbyist-turned-regulator, pushed through a set of sweeping network neutrality rules that reclassified internet service providers as public utilities. He's also protected consumer privacy by championing stringent regulations, enhanced affordable broadband for low-income families and advocated for competition. "Rather than be the lapdog of industry some feared (or hoped for), Tom Wheeler proved himself to be the most ferocious watchdog for consumers and competition in nearly two decades," said Harold Feld, senior vice president for Public Knowledge. Last week, Chairman Wheeler, 70, gave notice that he will step down on January 20, when President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Fellow Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who wasn't reconfirmed, will leave when her term ends on December 31. When the dust settles, the agency will have a 2-1 Republican majority, putting Chairman Wheeler's legacy in jeopardy.

To help you understand the regulatory hurdles that face AT&T and Time Warner, we've put together this FAQ.

How is the Comcast-NBC Universal deal similar to AT&T's proposed merger with Time Warner?: Like the Comcast-NBC Universal deal, the tie-up between AT&T and Time Warner is called a "vertical" merger. These companies don't directly compete with each other. Via its wireless, broadband and satellite TV networks, AT&T distributes the content Time Warner creates. This differs from AT&T's failed T-Mobile deal in 2011, which was considered a "horizontal" merger. In that scenario, AT&T was attempting to buy a direct competitor. Its businesses and customers overlapped almost all of T-Mobile's footprint.

If the deal had been allowed to go through, there would have been one less competitor in the wireless market. Would you expect regulators to put conditions on this deal?: Definitely. But critics have said AT&T, like Comcast, has demonstrated that it doesn't honor its merger commitments. They point to complaints from the early and mid-2000s when AT&T was gobbling up smaller phone companies, such as SBC and Bell South.

What do you think will happen?: With so many moving parts, it's really hard to say what will happen. Moffett gives the merger only a 50 percent chance of getting approved.

[Commentary] If you are a consumer who feels like you're being taken advantage of, where do you turn for help? The Federal Communications Commission is the nation's expert agency on communications technology and has a mandate to protect consumers who rely on our nation's networks.

In recent years, the commission has moved aggressively to meet our consumer protection responsibilities, whether it's adopting net neutrality protections that preserve the right of internet users to access a fair, fast and open Internet without the fear of gatekeepers, or pushing the NFL to suspend its TV blackout policy. In the coming weeks, the commission is poised to take significant actions to further these obligations, saving consumers money and securing fundamental consumer rights for the digital age. Our core mission is two-fold: we work to promote innovation and investment in world-class networks, products and services, while preserving principles that have long defined our networks -- principles like universal access, consumer protection and public safety. I believe that policies that are pro-innovation and pro-competition are pro-consumer, which is why we work to preserve and promote competitive markets.

AT&T is hitting the gas on plans to deliver ultra-high-speed broadband to more homes, apartment buildings and businesses. The Dallas-based phone company said it plans to bring the newly branded "AT&T Fiber" service to 11 additional metro areas, which include Gainesville and Panama City (FL); Columbus (GA); Central Kentucky; Lafayette (LA); Biloxi-Gulfport (MI), and Northeast Mississippi; Wilmington (NC); Knoxville and Southeastern Tennessee; and Corpus Christi (TX). AT&T's expansion comes as rival Google Fiber, which was the first major brand to push for gigabit speed broadband at affordable prices, is reportedly scaling back its deployment.

After years of hitting sour notes with artists, Pandora seems to have struck the right chord at last. Pandora unveiled its first hand-in-hand partnership with music creators and distributors through Merlin, a group representing more than 20,000 independent labels worldwide.

Pandora will use its recommendation engine to match Merlin members' musicians to the right listeners and will turn over metadata about that listening directly to artists for the first time, as well as set up customized channels for acts to communicate with fans.

The real music to artists' ears? Merlin CEO Charles Caldas said he expects to see "royalty payments increase significantly."

Here's a stat that will make most people nod in agreement: time spent on mobile apps is at an all-time high and just keeps growing.

But, breaking down the data piece-by-piece does carry some surprising facts -- such as people use Internet radio, social media, and photos far more on their mobile devices than on their PCs.

What's more, for the first time ever, time spent on mobile apps is higher than any other digital medium, coming in at 51 percent. This new data comes from ComScore's latest mobile app report. The analytics company looked at roughly 10 billion minutes of user engagement on apps during the month of May.