Questions Remain on Public Interest Benefits of Altice Buying Cablevision, Zoom Telephonics Says
Zoom Telephonics again said Altice's plans to buy Cablevision should be designated for hearing, denied or predicated on conditions. While Altice-owned Suddenlink complies with Section 629 of the Communications Act, which deals with navigation devices, Altice's "unwillingness to affirm that…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
it will not convert Suddenlink's modem policies to those now employed by Cablevision" highlights the question of whether the Cablevision deal would be in the public interest, Zoom said in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 15-257. The Zoom filing was a reply to Altice/Cablevision replies (see 1512230046) to comments on the proposed $17.7 billion deal. In its filing Tuesday, the cable modem maker said Altice and Cablevision in their joint reply didn't refute any of Zoom's allegations in its Dec. 7 petition. Altice in its response also never addressed the question of whether the FCC has authority to unbundle its modem leases from Internet service, and made no argument "that there are any public interest benefits to allow it to continue or expand Cablevision's policies against separately offering cable modems," Zoom said.