Ownership

Who owns, controls, or influences media and telecommunications outlets.

FCC Approves Verizon-TracFone Deal with Consumer Protections

The Federal Communications Commission has voted to approve—with strong consumer protection conditions—the transfer of control of TracFone Wireless from América Móvil to Verizon Communications. After rigorous review, the FCC found that the transaction, as modified by Verizon’s enforceable commitments, will make Verizon and TracFone stronger providers of prepaid and Lifeline services. Given the communities that TracFone primarily serves within the US, the FCC adopted a number of binding conditions to address potential harms and to ensure the transaction will be in the public interest.

CPUC Approves Verizon’s Acquisition of TracFone With Consumer Protection Conditions

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), in ongoing efforts to ensure reliable and affordable telecommunication services, approved Verizon Communications’ acquisition of TracFone Wireless with consumer protection conditions to ensure the acquisition will be in the public interest. The CPUC's Decision finds that in order for Verizon and TracFone to meet the burden of proving their acquisition is in the public interest, they must adopt a number of specific measures to protect consumers-including California Lifeline customers-from price increases and service disruptions.

EU lawmakers agree on rules to target Big Tech

EU lawmakers have reached a breakthrough on how to target tech companies, including Apple and Google, as part of moves by Brussels to curb anti-competitive practices in the digital economy. The European Parliament’s main political parties agreed to a deal that would apply to companies with a market capitalisation of at least €80 billion and offering at least one internet service, such as online search. It means the rules would draw more companies than thought into the EU’s planned Digital Markets Act (DMA), a wide-ranging effort to rein in Big Tech.

Cable One Buys Cable America Missouri for $113 Million

Cable One has purchased Cable America Missouri, a small broadband and cable operator with about 14,000 customers in rural areas in the central part of the state, for about $113 million in cash. Cable One CEO Julie Laulis said the Cable America properties are close to markets the company purchased in 2019 with its buy of Fidelity Communications. “Due to its adjacency to our Fidelity markets as well as alignment with culture, growth and competitive profile, we expect Cable America to be an excellent fit to our growing family of brands,” Laulis said.

Kudos on Broadband but a Long Way to Go on Communications

Passage of the Infrastructure legislation on November 5 was truly historic—surely the biggest boost ever to bringing high-speed broadband to every American household. While we get about the job of building broadband, we need to take up other communications issues that have been of even longer gestation and which have just as much, maybe more, urgency for our country. High on my list is media reform.

Vodafone widens UK broadband footprint with capacity deals

Vodafone has stepped up its push into the UK broadband market after striking new deals with BT’s Openreach and challenger network CityFibre that hand the group the largest ultrafast broadband footprint in the country. The deals mean Vodafone will be able to offer the high-speed broadband product to 8 million homes by spring 2022 at steep discounts as it looks to grow its share of the market. The UK company is Europe’s largest broadband provider, with more than 25 million customers after acquiring cable networks in markets including Germany and Spain.

WOW! Completes $661 Million Sale of Three Service Areas to Astound Broadband

WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone, a leading broadband service provider, announced the completion of the sale of its Chicago (IL), Evansville (IN) and Anne Arundel (MD) service areas to the Astound Broadband group for $661 million. The completion of the Astound Broadband transaction follows WOW!’s completed sale of its Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio service areas to Atlantic Broadband, announced in September 2021. Combined, the two transactions have generated gross proceeds of $1.8 billion, enabling WOW!

Netflix Responds to SK Broadband's Demand to Pay Bandwidth Usage Fees

Squid Game is just the beginning. But unfortunately, we have come to a crossroads where Internet gatekeepers could get to decide if the next great Korean story can be watched, and loved, by the world. A single broadband player in Korea is seeking to use its dominance to extract an arbitrary payment from streaming services like Netflix, for simply making our shows and films available on the internet to Korean consumers, who mind you, are already paying for their internet connection. We are doing our part to ensure Netflix isn’t a burden on Korean broadband companies.

Australia Backs $1.6 Billion Buy of Pacific Mobile Networks

Australia is backing the purchase of mobile networks in six Pacific countries, a move that foreign-policy experts say is designed to block a military rival from buying the strategically important assets. The government said its export-finance arm agreed to provide $1.33 billion in funding to support the $1.6 billion purchase by Telstra Corp, Australia’s biggest communications provider, of the networks in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Nauru, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

FTC to Restrict Future Acquisitions for Firms that Pursue Anticompetitive Mergers

The Federal Trade Commission announced that it is restoring its long-established practice of routinely restricting future acquisitions for merging parties that pursue anti-competitive mergers.