Ownership

[Commentary] The proposed merger between Sprint and T-Mobile once again focuses the nation’s attention on next generation 5G wireless service. Burdened with the fact that the current vibrant competition among four wireless companies has benefited consumers greatly (decreasing prices by 13 percent in the last year alone), the companies assert that their merger will accelerate the deployment of 5G. The “China is winning on 5G” argument of Sprint and T-Mobile is creative, and probably  the only rationale they could concoct after the government twice before rejected their proposal to reduce nat

To address allegations of bias, Facebook is bringing in two outside advisors — one to conduct a legal audit of its impact on underrepresented communities and communities of color, and another to advise the company on potential bias against conservative voices. 

Here’s what three government agencies will weigh as they consider the T-Mobile/Sprint merger.

Mark Zuckerberg kicked off his keynote by explaining Facebook’s plans to protect the integrity of elections in the United States and abroad. He also recapped moves the company has made to boost transparency in election ads–things like requiring anyone buying a political ad produce government identification to prove they are who they are, and requiring that political ads on Facebook have a higher degree of transparency than print, radio, or TV ads. That, of course, is meant to get in front of Congress’s proposed Honest Ads Act.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said that building a 5G mobile broadband network is a chief concern for the Trump administration. “I think the pitch that Sprint and T-Mobile are making is an interesting one, that their merger would propel Verizon and AT&T into more active pursuit of 5G,” Sec Ross said. “Whoever pursues it, whoever does it, we’re very much in support of 5G. We need it. We need it for defense purposes, we need it for commercial purposes,” he continued.

A Q&A with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

One of the US' most successful mobile broadband providers is acquiring a struggling, smaller competitor, but it needs government approval of the merger. To make their case, the merging companies tell regulators that they can't fully upgrade to the next generation of wireless technology as standalone firms. They must join forces, or US wireless consumers won't benefit from an upgraded network, the companies say.

The state of New York is suing Charter over alleged deceptive statements regarding internet speed. Public Knowledge submitted an amicus brief explaining the importance of broadband to consumers, and how consumers rely on accurate information from their broadband providers to make informed decisions. 

[Commentary] The merits of some mergers make for a close case, but the proposed merger between the mobile carriers Sprint and T-Mobile, which would create a new telecommunications behemoth, is not one of them. Basic economics strongly suggests the proposed combination should be dead on arrival, at least if the nation’s antitrust law still stands for competition and lower prices for consumers.

A Q&A with Rep Ro Khanna (D-CA). 

Rep Khanna represents much of Silicon Valley, but he’s not just a cheerleader for the hometown industry. He supports tougher antitrust review of tech mergers, for one thing. Rep Khanna is also trying to draft an “Internet Bill of Rights,” principles that he hopes can later form the basis of legislation. On his list: the right to know what data tech companies have about you; the right to limit the use of your data; the right to consent when the data is transferred; and the right to move your data.