The FCC has issued a News Release announcing its formal approval of the AT&T-DirecTV merger. AT&T will acquire DirecTV, resulting in one combined entity.
The merger will be subject to certain conditions that the combined entity must meet (as previously announced by Chairman Wheeler). These conditions will generally remain in effect for four years after the merger closes. Accordingly, the combined entity will be required to:
- expand its fiber to the premises (“FTTP”) service to 12.5 million customer locations;
- offer gigabit service to any E-rate eligible school or library where it deploys FTTP service;
- refrain from imposing discriminatory usage-based allowances or other discriminatory retail terms and conditions on its broadband Internet service;
- submit its Internet interconnection agreements to the Commission;
- make available an affordable, low-price standalone broadband service to low-income consumers in its broadband service area; and
- retain an internal company compliance officer and an independent, external compliance officer that will report and monitor its compliance with the merger’s conditions.
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