AT&T to buy Time Warner for $85.4 billion

[TrumpIsPresident]

at what point do we get mad enough to do something about it, instead of bitching on a video games off topic forum? I agree mergers of this magnitude create monopolies. ISPs and Entertainment companies in general seem to be planning something gargantuan on the horizon, and price control, data collection and advertisements seem to be involved. Cabals such as the ones from Interface (neal stephenson) come to mind...

Ha never.

As long as Netflix and PornHub work no private citizen is going to do a damned thing.

And as long as politicians (the people with the actual ability to help) only ever have to run on bullshit social issues and baby bitch fit fights over who said what on twitter they're never going to do anything about it either.

[Reeve]

Leasing the lines is what happens now.

Its the half assed double barreled "haha fuck you" to the consumer that passes as anti-monopoly regulation.

Its how you have these locally branded companies.

Those 2nd/3rd tier providers cant come close to running their own lines although some have tried in the past to their own financial destruction.

The big 3 own the game and it will be forever rigged in their favor until the day comes where a total outsider can lay an effective and independent "last mile" infrastructure.

But good luck with that.

These big 3 providers have iron clad century long deals with every state and city on the map saying they and they alone can dig and bury telecom.

Search "overbuilders" and see what happens to people who try to work through those deals.

Google Fiber is one of them and even with their wallet and lobby muscle they've only managed to make a scratch.

Internet is probably the single greatest product in demand behind food, right?

It really speaks fucking volumes that we've only 3 real options for internet in the entire country.

And as far as the FCC goes, well fuck the FCC, they aren't on the consumers side.

Every one of these lame bouts of regulatory self-fellatio only every amounts to the government representing its interest in spying on people and getting itself paid for making the deal.

I think a lot of this is going to change over the next decades. Partly through adjustments in regulation, partly through greater implementation of wireless networks. When everyone can do a low latency high speed internet connection through a cellular network, we won't need these cabled systems in most places anymore.

[Docturphil]

I exaggerated a bit but theres ALWAYS 2 devices streaming and then the kids start watching weird youtube videos on top of that from their netbooks or tablets. We do have over 21 devices connected to the wifi using up the data tho and weve hit the monthly cap a couple of times.

Oh man, you live in an area where they limit your monthly data? That suuuucks...

I guess I'm lucky to have 50mbps with no data limit. Of course I have Time Warner... Who knows what will happen should this merge not be stopped.

Hopefully Google fiber will pick up the pace a bit...

[TrumpIsPresident]

I think a lot of this is going to change over the next decades. Partly through adjustments in regulation, partly through greater implementation of wireless networks. When everyone can do a low latency high speed internet connection through a cellular network, we won't need these cabled systems in most places anymore.

A logical conclusion as any.

I'd be willing to bet the big 3 are already shopping for rocket ships so they can own and then rig the satellite game too.

Hell, we might be back here in 2020 discussing Clinton vs Kanye campaign and the Comcast buyout of NASA.

[breadisfunny]

no anti trust lawsuit will be triggered since the senate, house and the next 2 presidents are firmly in the pockets of corporations.

[Masark]

Oh man, you live in an area where they limit your monthly data? That suuuucks...

I guess I'm lucky to have 50mbps with no data limit. Of course I have Time Warner... Who knows what will happen should this merge not be stopped.

Hopefully Google fiber will pick up the pace a bit...

This merger would have no effect on you. Time Warner Cable (which is now owned by Charter Communications) is entirely separate from Time Warner.

This merger would result in AT&T owning Warner Brothers, HBO, TBS, CNN, HLN, TNT, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, TruTV, and Turner Classic Movies.

[zenkai]

I'm betting our corrupt government lets it happen.

[breadisfunny]

That's fucking ridiculous. Way too big of a merger. Why wasn't this stopped?

because the government is for the corporations by the corporations.

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A logical conclusion as any.

I'd be willing to bet the big 3 are already shopping for rocket ships so they can own and then rig the satellite game too.

Hell, we might be back here in 2020 discussing Clinton vs Kanye campaign and the Comcast buyout of NASA.

no because then they have to contend with actual governments with militaries.

[Docturphil]

This merger would have no effect on you. Time Warner Cable (which is now owned by Charter Communications) is entirely separate from Time Warner.

This merger would result in AT&T owning Warner Brothers, HBO, TBS, CNN, HLN, TNT, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, TruTV, and Turner Classic Movies.

Oh... Well what's with all this fuss about people's internet being monopolized? I guess they must have misunderstood like I did...

Whatever... still too big of a merge.

[Molis]

They already do? Uverse is a thing already...

They actually own DirecTV and are phasing out Uverse.

[Poopymonster]

I kinda giggle, that means if I tell TWC that I want to go back to their basic package of 20 mb/s I no longer have a high speed connection. I just have a connection. I guess it's good they defined it so high, but I think it's a little over the top to say it's 10-20Mb/s isn't high speed anymore.



It does all that they want. Sure they can't stream Netflix, but they can watch youtube videos and such. They live in a rural area and they are the last house on the road that can get it at all. There is a couple of hundred more people that are stuck with dial up or their edge network phones.



I thought the joy of DSL ,was unlike cable, you got a constant connection and not choked out by the neighbors? I never had DSL so I can't compare. So far my cable (even when I was Comcast) always gave me the rated speeds, anytime I checked. Sounds like you need a dedicate business line.

About 7 or 8 years ago I had DSL (not Dick Sucking Lips, I have those though, plump luscious lips...) through AT&T because my flatmate the Porn Lord ate all the bandwidth all day er'ry day downloading porn on Comcast, plus apartments, shit speed noon until midnight on weekdays. I had almost no disconnects from WoW, torrenting, or playing other online games with AT&T DSL ever, even running script/bot programs on MUDs. Only problem was the modem. Tiny little guy lasted about 14 months. 1 year warranty. Paid to replaced him, new tiny little guy, about 14 months later, he died. Outside of that, it was the second most stable/best connection I'd ever had. First being at college in the mid/late 90s.

Waiting on Google Fiber in vain, since this area is Comcast Country.

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The FCC is changing the regulations on cable lines to make them more similar to phone lines, where they have to be willing to lease out bandwidth to other providers on their lines. So everything you just mentioned is changing.

If I recall, it is/was being fought every inch of the way by the Grand Obsolete Party and their hardon for their businesses. Gubermint ovureech, etc, etc.

[kail]

All the doom and gloom over a company buying channels...

This isn't a merge between ISP services. My current options are worse than the 2016 election: Comcast and AT&T. I doubt our laughable ISP industry in the U.S. could get much worse.

[zEmini]

I don't like this.

I would love to see that day when all internet and phone becomes free for everyone. There needs to be some rich billionaire who launches several satellites that gives us free everything. Probably never going too happen.

[Mafic]

All the doom and gloom over a company buying channels...

This isn't a merge between ISP services. My current options are worse than the 2016 election: Comcast and AT&T. I doubt our laughable ISP industry in the U.S. could get much worse.

Kill this merger with fire of Hephaestus

I am old enough to remember AT&T being broken up to foster healthy competition.

This is unacceptable.

[kail]

Kill this merger with fire of Hephaestus

I am old enough to remember AT&T being broken up to foster healthy competition.

This is unacceptable.

We are talking about a different kind of competition. The only worry to be had is the potential changes to their owned channels.

[ro9ue]

Am I the only one who thought Time Warner was worth more than AT&T?

[Yoshimeti]

Ha never.

As long as Netflix and PornHub work no private citizen is going to do a damned thing.

And as long as politicians (the people with the actual ability to help) only ever have to run on bullshit social issues and baby bitch fit fights over who said what on twitter they're never going to do anything about it either.

Thing is, Zombergy, I'm not talking about the OP, or even the person I responded to, I am talking about YOU. Is netflix and pornhub holding YOU back? If not, really, what is? What will make you "... mad as hell" and what will make you "...not take it anymore?" ... you with the audacity to read and respond to an instigatory comment?

Seriously, get up off your ass and wax philosophical for once.

[Deletedaccount1]

https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/24/ne...for-consumers/

[TrumpIsPresident]

Thing is, Zombergy, I'm not talking about the OP, or even the person I responded to, I am talking about YOU. Is netflix and pornhub holding YOU back? If not, really, what is? What will make you "... mad as hell" and what will make you "...not take it anymore?" ... you with the audacity to read and respond to an instigatory comment?

Seriously, get up off your ass and wax philosophical for once.

Hey I had the notion some time back that a good way for the public to rebel would be to go around slashing the tires on Comcast service trucks.

Nobody liked it.

[Damajin]

Hey I had the notion some time back that a good way for the public to rebel would be to go around slashing the tires on Comcast service trucks.

Nobody liked it.

It's time for Project Mayhem.