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posted by CoolHand on Sunday June 07 2015, @10:21AM   Printer-friendly
from the rich-get-richer dept.

The Washington Post reports that federal regulators are likely to approve AT&T's $49 billion purchase of DirecTV in coming weeks, in exchange for several promises, including temporary acceptance of some of the Federal Communications Commission's proposed "Open Internet" net neutrality rules:

Among the deal's so-called conditions is expected to be something fairly simple. AT&T is prepared to accept aspects of the net neutrality rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission earlier this year, according to people familiar with the negotiations, who declined to be named because the deliberations are private.

AT&T has publicly opposed making the agency's newest net neutrality rules a condition of the acquisition. It said when it first proposed the merger that it was prepared to abide by an older version of net neutrality. But in negotiations with the FCC, which must approve the deal, AT&T may be willing to go further.

If AT&T ultimately followed the newer rules for Internet providers, it would be committing to at least three things. It would honor the FCC's ban on the slowing of Web sites, as well as a ban on blocking Web sites. It would also comply with a ban against taking payments from Web site operators to speed up their content, a practice known as "paid prioritization."

It is unclear how long AT&T would be required to abide by such a commitment, said the people familiar with the plans.

AT&T is part of an industry coalition suing to roll back the net neutrality rules. But if regulators approve the deal with an AT&T commitment to net neutrality, the company would be bound by the rules for the duration of the agreement no matter what happens to the court case.


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