Wednesday, March 26,2008 @ 4:10pm
Verizon pressures FCC for easier cableco switching
Verizon is putting pressure on the Federal Communications Commission to make switching away from cable companies easier, Reuters reports. The company observes while phone companies will often handle the switchover from one carrier to another themselves, cable subscribers must typically get their own cable disconnected. This discourages people from switching, Verizon argues, "entrenching the cable incumbents' dominant market position."
Verizon has strong incentive to push for government aid, as it is investing billions of dollars into FiOS, its fiber-optic network which not only provides high-speed Internet access but IPTV. Where FiOS is unavailable, the company can also arrange to connect customers to DirecTV's satellite service.
Late last year, both Verizon and AT&T scored a coup by persuading the FCC to halt exclusive cable deals for apartment buildings. Previously, this not only forbade switching to options like FiOS TV, but gave cable companies an edge in signing customers for "triple-play" cable, phone and Internet bundles.