Cable lobby group: Broadband competition is bad for customers


Quick background... as part of Charter's Time Warner merger, the FCC is requiring Charter to build broadband capacity to 2 million new residential or small businesses and 1 million of those must be served by at least one provider.

The American Cable Association lobbyist via Ars Technica:

"The requirement on Charter to overbuild competitors will harm consumers in two ways," ACA CEO Matthew Polka said. "First, it will harm Charter's customers by preventing Charter from investing its resources most efficiently, such as by upgrading its networks to higher speeds. Second, it will harm customers of local, small providers when these customers are satisfied with their existing service."

The key point is this regulatory requirement is a condition of a acquisition. They chose to grow through acquisition, but they could also grow through competition. Seems the industry lobby has an adverse to competition, which should shock no one.