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IP: from EDUCAUSE -- AT&T DEFENDS MEDIAONE DEAL AT FCC HEARING
From: Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>
Date: Wed, 09 Feb 2000 08:56:36 -0500
AT&T justified its proposed purchase of MediaOne Group by saying it would offer consumers a wider variety of local phone and high-speed Internet services. By 2004, AT&T's local phone business could have a 30 percent penetration rate in its cable markets, AT&T General Counsel Jim Cicconi said during an FCC-sponsored public hearing Friday. However, critics are concerned about its history of local phone deployment, citing its actions after the acquisition of cable operator Tele-Communications. Some also believe that AT&T would have an unfair amount of control over Internet content via its Liberty Media Group assets. Although AT&T contends that its holdings would comply with the FCC's 30 percent ownership restriction, critics believe the deal would allow AT&T to hold as much as 60 percent of the market. FCC officials asked Cicconi about the company's plans to ensure that it will not participate in programming decisions. The agency also asked about AT&T's plans for open access. (Wall Street Journal, 7 Feb 2000)
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