AT&T - DISH talks getting hot.

[sullivbt]

Because the government has no idea how to run a network. Just like AT&T does not know how to run a government. Leave them alone if people don't want AT&T then use someone else. But let the market decide that NOT the government!

Typical monopolist horseshit, here. How can the "market decide" if there are no choices, or only a choice between two companies? In that case, the "decision" is forced upon the consumer; he or shoe does nto actually have any choice in the matter. To paraphrase the civil rights activists - "no competition, no choice"!!!! :-)))))

[broadcasttheworld]

Typical monopolist horseshit, here. How can the "market decide" if there are no choices, or only a choice between two companies? In that case, the "decision" is forced upon the consumer; he or shoe does nto actually have any choice in the matter. To paraphrase the civil rights activists - "no competition, no choice"!!!! :-)))))

True its not that i do not agree with competition. But let the companies compete. At this point cable can do whatever whenever they want. the local phone companies on the other hand have millions of regulations to follow. so you have a choice right now of Phone/cable/sat/power in some cases/ but when the government regulates competition no one wins.

[steve4810]

So lets recap what did the government get for its billions?

Bankruptcies (What's your point?)

less innovation (Absolutely the opposite is true)

un happy customers (Not true)

bad service (More people get more dial-tone more of the time. At the other end of the spectrum cutting edge stuff is always tricky in the beginning and I certainly don't want THE PHONE COMPANY deciding when something is reliable enough for me to have access to it)

hatch job of networks (What?)

and less national security (I'll choose freedom over security every time)

What did they gain?

More tax revenue from those startups (Not unless they are profitable in which case everybody wins)

more lobby dollars being spent in Washington(Who's fault is that?)

increase in tax rates to customers ("tax increase" is just a Republican scare word. Which tax? For what?)

larger FCC budget (What part of government doesn't have a larger budget since those days?)

[tigerfan33]

I just wonder if we can tie in the no response of hd by dish to the sell to AT&T. I know that there has been no new hd since the talks had started. The NHL Network was suppose to be up but word is that those talks had been on going for a while. I know if I was going to sell my company why in the hell should I have to work so hard to get new programming.

[Slamminc11]

I just wonder if we can tie in the no response of hd by dish to the sell to AT&T. I know that there has been no new hd since the talks had started. The NHL Network was suppose to be up but word is that those talks had been on going for a while. I know if I was going to sell my company why in the hell should I have to work so hard to get new programming.

Well let's see.
1) There is no proof that Dish and AT&T are actually in negotiations, just some rumors that they might be because Dish decided to buy Slingbox and to split the company. Could they be talking? sure, but then again we have been hearing that since before Direct promised all their HD and look how long that took them to get started.
2) Since NHL network isn't up on any provider at this point, I don't see how that has to do with the other.

[OoTLink]

I wonder how many people will want to cancel their service over a change like that?

[digitalartifact]

So lets recap what did the government get for its billions?

Bankruptcies (What's your point?)
Will agree with you here

less innovation (Absolutely the opposite is true)
Sorry but what has been innovated in the phone industry post AT&T breakup?

un happy customers (Not true)
Service where I live went way down hill... maybe your one of the few lucky ones... not to mention the annoying bait and switch tactics by the other long distance carriers, the endless stream of scam calls...

bad service (More people get more dial-tone more of the time. At the other end of the spectrum cutting edge stuff is always tricky in the beginning and I certainly don't want THE PHONE COMPANY deciding when something is reliable enough for me to have access to it)
Who cares about dial tone when after you dial you get more static? Actuly when AT&T owned Bell Labs (now days know as Lucent) they produced more stable phone switches. and where extensively tested before deployment (Microsoft should go take a few pages out of their testing books)

hatch job of networks (What?)

and less national security (I'll choose freedom over security every time)
actually you have less freedom... much easer for the government to bully smaller companies into submission... forgot the wire tap scandal of a few years back already?

What did they gain?

More tax revenue from those startups (Not unless they are profitable in which case everybody wins)
whoopee more money for more government... sure feel like a winner

more lobby dollars being spent in Washington(Who's fault is that?)
and that benefits who?

increase in tax rates to customers ("tax increase" is just a Republican scare word. Which tax? For what?)
actually it enabled the phone companies to profit more by putting items on there bills the look like taxes...

larger FCC budget (What part of government doesn't have a larger budget since those days?)
like we need more FCC? I think the country would be far better served, preserving more self freedom and national security if WE elected all of these posts too. and had a max term length of 4 years. (but I realize that is IMO)

[satkid12]

The Wall Street Journal today reported that the two companies are not engaged in any formal talks:


WSJ Cools Down Echo-AT&T Talk