DEMOCRATS, NET NEUTRALITY SUPPORTERS ANGRY AT DOJ 'RUBBER STAMP'

摘要

Net neutrality advocates condemned the Justice Dept.抯 decision to approve the proposed AT&T-BellSouth combination without conditions as failing consumers. 揥e are witnessing a wave of concentration in the telecommunications market that threatens to sweep away the free and open Internet,?said Free Press Policy Dir. Ben Scott. The merger shouldn't be allowed to proceed without 損ermanent, binding protections for net neutrality,?he said: 揟he new AT&T wants all the market power of its old monopoly without any consumer protections.?Prominent House Democrats also scolded DoJ for approving the deal without showing concern for a growing phone monopoly. The merger of 搕hese 2 Bell behemoths?shows how the Justice Dept. 揾as become the Executive branch's version of Rip Van Winkle -- it appears to be deep in the throes of a multi-year slumber,?said House Commerce Telecom Subcommittee Ranking Member Edward Markey (D-Mass.). nnDoJ can't 搃mpose conditions?like the FCC -- it can only find a merger legal or not with respect to its effect on competition, 2 Justice officials connected to the process told our affiliate Communications Daily. 揥e determined there was not a substantial harm to competition and there's no lawsuit we can bring,?one source said, pointing to the FCC's 搒lightly broader standard.?The other official added: 揜emember... this was the result of a 7-month investigation?involving many officials, many interviews and collecting data from both the merging and 3rd parties, all 搕aking into account [competitive] changes the industry has gone through.?/font>