FCC Exempts Comcast From Cable Rate Regulation in Parts of Virginia, Washington
Several communities in Virginia and Washington state are subject to effective cable competition and Comcast is exempt from rate regulation there, the FCC Media Bureau said in orders (see here and here) Friday. Ruling that the town of Orange, and…
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Orange County, Virginia, have effective competition, the bureau said the county -- which opposed the Comcast petition -- didn't show any methodological flaw in the operator's data or identify any ZIP codes incorrectly considered to be part of Orange County. The bureau also rejected oppositions from Airway Heights, Washington, and Spokane, Washington, arguing Comcast data was questionable, as was Airway Heights' push that it consider some issues outside the statutory test for competing provider effective competition. The bureau order also covered Liberty Lake, Millwood and Spokane Valley, Washington. The orders covered areas with about 132,000 households, the largest of which was Spokane, followed by Spokane Valley. Thursday the bureau issued orders to Comcast and Time Warner Cable freeing them of local rate regulation in some other areas (see 1602180042).