Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and John Thune (R-SD) rolled out a plan that, if passed, would dramatically reshape the economics of television. The idea is to unbundle broadcast programming so that individual consumers could pick -- and pay for directly -- only the channels that they want to watch.
A Cable Merger Too Far
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
There are good reasons the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission should block Comcast’s $45 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable.
FCC failing on its No. 1 priority
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
For more than a decade, the Federal Communications Commission has been failing to protect the public interest and strengthen the nation's broadband infrastructure.
It’s not a “fast lane” but Comcast built a CDN to charge for video delivery
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
Comcast is now competing against content delivery networks (CDNs) such as Akamai with a new service that can improve delivery of video to Comcast subscribers in exchange for payment.
Apple in Talks With Comcast About Streaming-TV Service
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
Apple is in talks with Comcast about teaming up for a streaming-television service that would use an Apple set-top box and get special treatment on Comcast's cables to ensure it bypasses congestion on the Web, people familiar with the matter say. The deal, if sealed, would mark a new level of cooperation and integration between a technology company and a cable provider to modernize TV viewing.
Modernizing the Communications Act
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
One of the most common criticisms of the Communications Act is the so-called “siloed,” sector-based nature of the law and resulting regulation. The Communications Act consists of seven titles: general provisions, common carriers, provisions related to radio, procedural and administrative provisions, penal provisions and forfeitures, cable communications, and miscellaneous provisions. Each of the titles governs a specific sector of the communications economy with inconsistent approaches to definition and regulation.
Why Comcast and other cable ISPs aren’t selling you gigabit Internet
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
Gigabit-class broadband is capturing the imagination of Internet users throughout the country. Cable companies haven't been ignoring this consumer demand… but they haven't done anything to satisfy it, either.