Concerns Over Comcast/NBC Universal Merger.

[warwick.hoy]

Are they warranted?

I'm having a hard time separating hype and speculation from fact in this issue.

I'm hearing dissent that it will drive up price for internet access, will create a monopoly and will limit independently produced content. Basically it's hyped as being the end of the internet as we know it.

What are the actual processes that will cause large wholesale changes in how we access the internet and what we have access to; IE cost of doing business, etc, etc.

I'd like to ask why this is being allowed to happen but I know this will assuredly venture into TB forbidden political discussion. So in the interest in avoiding that maybe keep the discussion on whether or not concern is warranted and how you think this will actually affect internet access or whether or not it will be noticed by typical internet users. What are similar situations in the past,...maybe even predating the internet.

My take? I just don't know. It's a logical deduction that this will cause disruptions but a lot of it seems like alarmist hype to me. My thought is we just don't know until the merger actually takes place.

MODS: Please accept my humblest apologies if this is forbidden.

[Selta]

There's already a "monopoly" really with the cable infrastructure itself. This just makes it worse for the last-mile vendors.

[UnsungZeros]

Certainly there is a lot of hype, but I do not feel comfortable with this merger at all. To have one mega corporation that controls both the content and the delivery network seems like a recipe for disaster.

For starters, I'm sure Comcast won't take kindly to NBCU's participation in Hulu. Other concerns include preferential treatment of NBCU content on it's cable and internet networks over competitors and opening a host of net neutrality issues.

The FCC and DoJ have just been rubber stamping mega mergers. Just look at the reassembly of AT&T from its Baby Bells.

[DwaynieAD]

bad idea. comcast is already abuses its power too much.

[gdthomas]

Can't wait until the raise their prices for the additional content they will not provide.

[Steve]

As with just about everything (IMHO) the safety, security and long term durability comes from diversity and duplication or redundancy of effort.

The more you centralize anything, costs of production (but not acquisition) come down but vulnerability goes way up and the next thing you know...it's "too big to fail"

And we all know where that road leads.