AT&T To Buy DIRECTV for $67 Billion

[mike123abc]

It's a failure because of the technology they used. vDSL which is DSL over standard twisted pair copper cables.

Exactly they took the cheapest way out, because they did not want to spend the money.

What does this mean for the future of DIRECTV? For the next few years, probably not much since the design of new satellites is complete and the next couple year's worth of set top boxes are probably well advanced. After that?

 

[Jimbo]

AT&T is well known as a stock that makes money for its shareholders. It has done so in the last 15 years by under investing in its land line business and using it as a cash cow to finance the wireless division and pay great dividends. They even tried under investing in the wireless business and had a disaster on their hands when the iPhone overloaded their network. They were forced to put money a lot more money into the wireless business to salvage it. There is a good reason they have trouble competing with U-Verse - they built it as cheaply as possible, contrast that to VZ which does not have much trouble competing with FIOS.

Given AT&T's history, it is not a stretch to think they will simply use DIRECTV as a cash cow too. Again great for the stock holders, but are they really doing the consumer any good? Will AT&T ever really invest more in DIRECTV? Or will they simply manage its decline until every last cent has been extracted from it?

And you know all this first hand ?
Btw, hows Your att stock doing ?
Mine hasnt done much in 15 years now.

 

[Jimbo]

Exactly they took the cheapest way out, because they did not want to spend the money.

What does this mean for the future of DIRECTV? For the next few years, probably not much since the design of new satellites is complete and the next couple year's worth of set top boxes are probably well advanced. After that?

Mike,
Leave NOW , dump att and D* while you still can ....
Get as far away from them as you can.

The same BS would be happening had Verizon got D*.

 

[Jimbo]

Exactly they took the cheapest way out, because they did not want to spend the money.

What does this mean for the future of DIRECTV? For the next few years, probably not much since the design of new satellites is complete and the next couple year's worth of set top boxes are probably well advanced. After that?

They went this way because they already had the structure in place, your not gonna abandon your existing business, you must expect them to come into Everybodys yards and dig up the neighborhoods from NY to LA so they can up in new fiber to everyone ....

NO Company is gonna do that. Period.

 

[mike123abc]

And you know all this first hand ?
Btw, hows Your att stock doing ?
Mine hasnt done much in 15 years now.

AT&T currently pays about a 5% yield in dividends. This is compared to the average company paying 1.8% in the S&P 500.

 

[mike123abc]

They went this way because they already had the structure in place, your not gonna abandon your existing business, you must expect them to come into Everybodys yards and dig up the neighborhoods from NY to LA so they can up in new fiber to everyone ....

NO Company is gonna do that. Period.

Except VZ... And yes they stopped doing it after they did the easier parts of their networks. But still did a significant percentage. Plus VZ has heavily invested in its wireless network, now they cover far more with LTE.

 

[Jimbo]

AT&T currently pays about a 5% yield in dividends.

Att stock is at 35 dollars or there abouts .... it use to be in the mid 50s and climbing.

 

[Jimbo]

Except VZ... And yes they stopped doing it after they did the easier parts of their networks.

You can if you throw the rest of your company away like they did.

Where are all the Employees that use to support verizon landline ?
Were they just thrown out too ?

 

[mike123abc]

Att stock is at 35 dollars or there abouts .... it use to be in the mid 50s and climbing.

Yes in 1999 during the tech bubble... They hit 42 again in 2007 before the last stock downturn. Remember this is really Southwestern Bell and not the old AT&T, this one was really formed in 2005.

My main point of all this AT&T "bashing" is that this is a DIRECTV forum and the readers here are probably most concerned with the future of DIRECTV. Is AT&T buying DIRECTV really a good thing for the DIRECTV consumer. To me the current AT&T has not done anything that would excite me about the prospects of DIRECTV. Yes if you live in a U-Verse area you might get a better bundle with internet, if you can live with their speeds, and future speeds. They seem to manage their companies with the attitude of barely getting by. Even if the current management of DIRECTV stays on long term will they get to make the long term investments need to further propel the brand and keep DIRECTV a viable brand?

 

[Jimbo]

Yes in 1999 during the tech bubble... They hit 42 again in 2007 before the last stock downturn. Remember this is really Southwestern Bell and not the old AT&T, this one was really formed in 2005.

My main point of all this AT&T "bashing" is that this is a DIRECTV forum and the readers here are probably most concerned with the future of DIRECTV. Is AT&T buying DIRECTV really a good thing for the DIRECTV consumer. To me the current AT&T has not done anything that would excite me about the prospects of DIRECTV. Yes if you live in a U-Verse area you might get a better bundle with internet, if you can live with their speeds, and future speeds. They seem to manage their companies with the attitude of barely getting by. Even if the current management of DIRECTV stays on long term will they get to make the long term investments need to further propel the brand and keep DIRECTV a viable brand?

I guess we can't answer these questions till they happen ... still got a long ways to go to even know for sure IF it's gonna take place.

Do you have another phone company that you would rather have bought D* ?

Everything is better if someone else had bought them, apparently.

 

[nelson61]

AT&T filed FCC application to acquire DirecTV this week( 6/11/2014)
For those interested, the filing provides detailed description of their plans.

An accompanying filing has been made to transfer the DirecTV satellite licenses to AT&T

http://licensing.fcc.gov/myibfs/download.do?attachment_key=1050160

The pdf attachment describes the acquisition and their plans in detail.

The hook they are using to obtain approval is a significant WLL broadband network in underserved areas (note that the service will have data caps).

"The transaction will benefit millions of these customers by making it economically
attractive for AT&T to expand its deployment of an LTE-based fixed WLL broadband
product.133 The fixed WLL service will be offered and priced as a home broadband service, not

a mobile wireless service. It will be designed to offer a robust broadband experience, using
advanced technologies, including professionally installed customer premises equipment that
enhance spectral efficiency and signal quality.134 Fixed WLL is expected to utilize 20 MHz of
dedicated spectrum.135 It is designed to perform as well as wireline broadband services

advertised today at 15-20 Mbps and will have a usage allowance that will readily satisfy most
customers’ needs.136 In the areas where AT&T will deploy the fixed WLL solution, it will be
comparable, and typically superior, to the wireline services available in both speed and
reliability.137
With the synergies from the transaction, AT&T will offer fixed WLL to an estimated 13
million largely underserved, rural customer locations.138 Those locations will be spread across
48 states both in and out of AT&T’s wireline region.139 Almost 20 percent of the 13 million

customer locations where AT&T’s fixed WLL service will become available have no access to
terrestrial broadband services today.140 An additional 27 percent of the 13 million customer

locations have only one terrestrial option today, and in most instances that single option is DSL
or a relatively slow cable modem service.141 The ability to provide a true bundle of integrated

satellite video, home broadband, and home VoIP services will make for a more competitive and
compelling offer in these underserved areas.142

 

[mike123abc]

I guess we can't answer these questions till they happen ... still got a long ways to go to even know for sure IF it's gonna take place.

Do you have another phone company that you would rather have bought D* ?

Everything is better if someone else had bought them, apparently.

I would have been much more excited to see Google buy them (or even Apple). Yes Google is just entering the broadband business and Apple has been been rumored for TV interfacing.

 

[Jimbo]

I would have been much more excited to see Google buy them (or even Apple). Yes Google is just entering the broadband business and Apple has been been rumored for TV interfacing.

I wouldn't have wanted Apple to have ANYTHING to do with D*.

Never liked Apple from the beginning ... anytime ANYTHING associated with a company has a cost involved and exclusivity ... no thank you.

I'll NEVER own a iPhone because of that.

 

[whitewolf8214]

Should Investors Worry About The AT&T-DirecTV Deal? http://seekingalpha.com/article/2269063-should-investors-worry-about-the-at-and-t-directv-deal

 

[whitewolf8214]

The AT&T-DirecTV Merger Could Be Doomed Unless the NFL Signs This Deal http://www.fool.com/investing/gener...-nfl-signs-this-deal-the-att-directv-mer.aspx

 

[harshness]

For those interested, the filing provides detailed description of their plans.

Looking at the map, you would think that there's a law against AT&T in Nebraska.

 

[joed32]

The Directv NFL ST deal will get done. Not so sure about the purchase being approved by the FCC.

 

[whitewolf8214]

U-verse Is The Regulatory Key To The Proposed AT&T/DirecTV Merger http://seekingalpha.com/article/227...y-key-to-the-proposed-at-and-t-directv-merger

 

[Jimbo]

U-verse Is The Regulatory Key To The Proposed AT&T/DirecTV Merger http://seekingalpha.com/article/227...y-key-to-the-proposed-at-and-t-directv-merger

I HATE sites that pop up a Register or not banner in the middle of an article, just makes ya wanna not click on the link.

 

[whitewolf8214]

I HATE sites that pop up a Register or not banner in the middle of an article, just makes ya wanna not click on the link.

So do I but I clicked it off and was able to read it!!