FCC Approves AT&T DirecTV deal

[goaliebob99]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/24/us-at-t-directv-fcc-idUSKCN0PY01G20150724

I would imagine that day one start's tomorrow or very soon! Congrats to both DirecTV and AT&T!

 

[maestro7]

Technically, per the linked article, the deal should be formally OK'd by tomorrow.

Therefore, should be some more reasonable press about it. It would also be nice to see some announcements over the next several weeks indicating how we as consumers will benefit (yes, I'm optimistic about the deal, especially as a T wireless and DTV user).

 

[larry55]

I hope it turn good. I don't trust A&T.

 

[dfergie]

Looks like a done deal...

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[Claude Greiner]

I'm not a fan of AT&T either, but I think Directv needed this merger more than AT&T.

With Dish going on a rampage buying all this wireless spectrum, it was a matter of time before Dish would have been able to put all that spectrum to good use and have a product that would blow Directv out of the water when it came to combining TV, Internet, phone, wireless and mobile video into a single combined service.

The tables are now turned, as AT&T has spectrum and the network already in place to use it today.

Dish has got to partner with someone, weather that is buying T mobile, Sprint or selling to Verizon

 

[dfergie]

In my and probably all DIRECTV subs emails this morning...

 

[navychop]

Did Dish get any additional satellite access as part of the deal to get approval?

 

[whitewolf8214]

In my and probably all DIRECTV subs emails this morning...View attachment 108695

I got one also and we will see!!

 

[VanBleek]

I'm not a fan of AT&T either, but I think Directv needed this merger more than AT&T.

With Dish going on a rampage buying all this wireless spectrum, it was a matter of time before Dish would have been able to put all that spectrum to good use and have a product that would blow Directv out of the water when it came to combining TV, Internet, phone, wireless and mobile video into a single combined service.

The tables are now turned, as AT&T has spectrum and the network already in place to use it today.

Dish has got to partner with someone, weather that is buying T mobile, Sprint or selling to Verizon

I agree with everything here, the only problem is that they're risking a future by partnering with the Great White Shark and hoping it doesn't eat your in place corporate structure along the way. My personal feeling is that anyone that trusts AT&T saying that this will result in great advancements or enhancements for consumers is a fool. This isn't the first time AT&T has feasted on weaker prey and sold the idea on "increased coverage" or "better network" or "fuller features" buzzwords to Congress and consumers. Give this a year and see what happens but I'm sure at some point you're simply going to get AT&T scattershot service with higher prices and a monolithic mentality

 

[markfp-1]

I hope they do some good bundling of services. Although I've been with DirecTV for 16 years, we had to keep Time-Warner for phone and internet. I'd drop them in a second if AT&T/DirecTV offered a good packagel.

 

[Jimbo]

In my and probably all DIRECTV subs emails this morning...View attachment 108695

Yup, came in a few hours ago.

 

[Jimbo]

I hope they do some good bundling of services. Although I've been with DirecTV for 16 years, we had to keep Time-Warner for phone and internet. I'd drop them in a second if AT&T/DirecTV offered a good packagel.

Are you in an ATT area ?
If not, your internet options havn't changed.

You still have to be in an att area in order to get internet from them, this merger didn't change anything with that ...

 

[bobvick]

Are you in an ATT area ?
If not, your internet options havn't changed.

You still have to be in an att area in order to get internet from them, this merger didn't change anything with that ...

Not necessarily, AT&T could offer a wireless LTE option. I currently have AT&T wireless home phone and Internet for a backup to my DSL. It has a 30 gig data cap, but other than that it is good. If they increased the data cap they can offer pretty good speeds that way.

 

[Jimbo]

Not necessarily, AT&T could offer a wireless LTE option. I currently have AT&T wireless home phone and Internet for a backup to my DSL. It has a 30 gig data cap, but other than that it is good. If they increased the data cap they can offer pretty good speeds that way.

Good point, I forgot about the Cell portion as far as internet goes, usually don't think of Cell running your home computer.

I tried the Wireless phone and Internet option at one time, but found I use too much data to make it a reasonable option, but like you said, if they raised data packages.

 

[satgirl51]

Ya in very rural areas they could probably have 100 GB cap without much effect on the network, some places here in Oklahoma there maybe only 5 or 6 house on a whole cell tower anyways. I have a family member that has the grandfathered cingular $9.99 unlimited data plan on grandfathered AT&T family plan, line is $9.99 a month and $9.99 for the unlimited data plan, they just popped that sim card in a mobile hotspot years ago and use it for all their home internet needs, LTE in rural oklahoma flies.... around 50 mbps down and very low latency.

 

[Jimbo]

Ya in very rural areas they could probably have 100 GB cap without much effect on the network, some places here in Oklahoma there maybe only 5 or 6 house on a whole cell tower anyways. I have a family member that has the grandfathered cingular $9.99 unlimited data plan on grandfathered AT&T family plan, line is $9.99 a month and $9.99 for the unlimited data plan, they just popped that sim card in a mobile hotspot years ago and use it for all their home internet needs, LTE in rural oklahoma flies.... around 50 mbps down and very low latency.

Very nice, I would rec. they never change the plan or they will never get anywhere near that type of price.

I know I was using a ATT Hot Spot off the LTE earlier in the year and it would run about 35-40mg, I was thrilled to see that speed from a wireless set up.

 

[dishcomm]

I'm not a fan of AT&T either, but I think Directv needed this merger more than AT&T.

With Dish going on a rampage buying all this wireless spectrum, it was a matter of time before Dish would have been able to put all that spectrum to good use and have a product that would blow Directv out of the water when it came to combining TV, Internet, phone, wireless and mobile video into a single combined service.

The tables are now turned, as AT&T has spectrum and the network already in place to use it today.

Dish has got to partner with someone, weather that is buying T mobile, Sprint or selling to Verizon

I think Verizon is the only viable option to the potential marriages you mentioned. T-Mobile and Sprint are small potatoes.

 

[dishcomm]

I hope they do some good bundling of services. Although I've been with DirecTV for 16 years, we had to keep Time-Warner for phone and internet. I'd drop them in a second if AT&T/DirecTV offered a good packagel.

Ahh....But only if AT&T is available at your home.
For example, where I reside, AT&T is nowhere to be found. Unless a customer in my area wants to go with say a satellite internet option, bundling is pointless.

 

[KraziJoe]

Ahh....But only if AT&T is available at your home.
For example, where I reside, AT&T is nowhere to be found. Unless a customer in my area wants to go with say a satellite internet option, bundling is pointless.

I am waiting to see if they offer anything with their Cell service so I can drop US Cellular.

 

[dfergie]

The FCC on Tuesday (July 28) released the 400-plus page order approving the AT&T-DirecTV merger, which said the conditions imposed to make the deal palatable to regulators were all transaction-specific and included preventing harms and confirming benefits. The order says the record in the merger review supports AT&T's and DirecTV's claim that the combined company will be a more effective MVPD competitor, providing greater choice and lower prices given that complimentary assets are being combined. In a Jack Spratt-like analysis, the order points out that DirecTV has 20 million video subs, but lacks broadband, while AT&T has plenty of broadband, but fewer than 6 million video subs, hampered by the high cost of programming.
"[T]he transaction also creates the potential for competitive harms, which we impose conditions to address," the order says.
- See more at: http://www.multichannel.com/news/fcc/fcc-releases-attdirectv-order/392560#sthash.inaWxOkO.dpuf