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DHagar
DHagar
10/25/2016 5:38:17 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Regulations
@eliabethv, it would most certainly inhibit competition from other players without the content/networks.  And pretty much shut down the appetite for smaller players to get into the markets with newer options.  It may make sense from the top-down, but from bottom up appears predominately focused on taking control of the market place - whether intended or not.

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DHagar
DHagar
10/25/2016 5:35:13 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Tw + att
@JamesWarner, clearly it merges the content and networks and creates a new architecture that would change the level of competition.

Although I have been impressed with AT&T's vision and strong moves into network development on impressive platforms, I also question if this will be a good investment from them and/or will derail their earlier investments.

It is a bold move, but one that may reverse the strides they have been making.

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elizabethv
elizabethv
10/25/2016 5:02:00 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Regulations
I think it's important to point out the regulatory review of such a merger. And as someone who is generally not a big fan of mega-corporations - I'm going to have to say I sincerely hope this is blocked. I think when companies get this big they start really blocking out the ability of little guys to play, which doesn't decrease costs for the consumer, doesn't encourage technicalogical growth for competition and in reality, rarely benefits most people other than the ones with the pockets the money is being deposited into. 

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James Warner
James Warner
10/25/2016 12:57:00 PM
User Rank
Author
Re: Tw + att
Virtually every mega-merger is justfied on some combination of lower costs/more efficient operations, increased competition and better tasting lunch meat.  Lower costs are generally achieved via head count reductions (aka firings).  More efficient operations is harder to prove  because the operation is now a behemouth and who's to say how efficiently it can run.

As others have pointed out, the increased competition argument is a bit specious.  Are we paying lower fares now that there are fewer, larger airlines?

I for one have never understood the merging of content and service delivery.  It's like when Movie studios used to own their own theater chains.  You can't keep content exclusively for your own use because that shrinks demand.  Same if you try to price-gouge competitors or restrict their access.

What customers want is more access to more content in more places.  This means almost ubiquitous 5G which could enable last-mile cord cutting.  Add in an open, flexible service delivery capability where content owners can automatically onboard themselves as easy as I can list something for sale on eBay.   Then underpin this with revenue sharing partnerships.

To me, that's a much better use of $80B.

 

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Mike Robuck
Mike Robuck
10/25/2016 12:12:04 PM
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Author
Re: Time Warner merges with AT&T
Chris, Time Warner is seperate from Time Warner Cable, the latter of which was bought by Charter. 

Iain Morris has a good story on LR about how this merger could impact AT&T's traditional vendors. 

 

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clrmoney
clrmoney
10/25/2016 10:57:56 AM
User Rank
Platinum
Time Warner merges with AT&T
This is great ofr both of them because time warner offer cable but they have not been as popular as other competitors and AT&T is one of the largest phone service provider in the world so this will mean more revenue in the long run with what both have to offer.

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afwriter
afwriter
10/24/2016 11:49:53 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: costs
@Mike Isn't that always the case?  They will always tell you what you want to hear until you get that first bill.  In this case, I am interested to see what AT&T's end game is here.  They obvious have been plans in mind.

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JohnBarnes
JohnBarnes
10/24/2016 10:52:55 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: costs
I should add that I'm indebted for the musical chairs analogy to Thomas Schelling, the late Nobel-prizewinning economist.

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JohnBarnes
JohnBarnes
10/24/2016 10:51:46 PM
User Rank
Platinum
Re: costs
Mike,

It's an old paradox in economics. Making competitors more effective at competing does not necessarily increase competition. In fact it often reduces it.

Suppose you've got a game of Ultimate Musical Chairs going on, with the chairs far apart and the music a bit soft, and competitors not allowed to wear helmets and pads. Then you decide everyone gets to compete more effectively by putting the chairs much closer together, equipping everyone's helmets with amplifiers and a signal alarm that plays the instant the music stops, and basically letting them wear armor.

If competition is measured as the chances of the average player winning--everyone is competing better, i.e. more effective individually, but wins are going to concentrate in fewer and fewer hands, and everyone's going to use the same strategy (knock down everyone between you and the nearest chair as soon as the end-music alarm goes off).

AT&TT-W would be a very formidable competitor indeed. And once a competitor is formidable enough, there's hardly any competition to speak of.

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Mike Robuck
Mike Robuck
10/24/2016 4:35:05 PM
User Rank
Author
costs
As I recall, Comcast said it's purchase of NBCU would lead to lower costs due to increased competition, etc. I read somewhere that was not the case. I think AT&T is making the same arguement on this deal. 

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