FCC and Mergers
The Communications Act of 1934 established the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Its main purpose back then was to control and regulate all means of communication, from radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. It is governed by five commissioners, and reports to Congress. There are seven bureaus that operate under the FCC's umbrella. They include the Cable Services Bureau, the Common Carrier Bureau, the Consumer Information Bureau, the Enforcement Bureau, the International Bureau, the Mass Media Bureau, and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. These bureaus are responsible for developing and implementing regulatory programs, processing applications for licenses or other filings, analyzing complaints, conducting investigations, and taking part in FCC hearings. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 has given much more control and jurisdiction to the FCC in regards to newer and newer technologies. Wireless data transfers were not an issue in 1934. But they are now. The FCC regulates not only the new technologies, but also the POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) lines, as well as cable service, television, satellite transmissions, etc. If there is a means to communicate something, chances are that the FCC will
As Gloria Tristani, a commissioner with the FCC, said, "In all candor, I'm a little skeptical of the notion that a $25 billion company needs to be bigger before it can successfully compete out-of-region. This bureau has been extremely busy in the last few years, as they not only regulate the businesses but also decide whether or not a merger will benefit consumers or the business. The main argument put forth by the companies is that with more resources, both capital and technology, it would allow them to enter new markets and bring with them competition to a monopolistic environment. One of the seven bureaus of the FCC is the Wireless Telecommunications bureau. These interests include, but are not limited to, the price of a utility, the availability, and the timeframe at which a newer service could be provided. 2) Answers to this and similar questions range from resources to people. Obviously, stockholders are pushing for mergers, as they should allow for higher profits through increased market share and competition. These companies argue that without a merger they will not be able to explore and expand upon future opportunities. It would be much easier to begin development on a new project if the people were already in place and working together. As the FCC looks into the arguments put forth by these companies, they must keep in mind that their main objective is to keep the best interests of the general public at the forefront of their conclusion. Mergers have become the latest fad in the Telecomm industry, as companies begin to pool resources together to gain more and more of the market share. A question on the minds of some of the commissioners is why a multi-billion dollar company needs more resources than it already has to compete and expand to new territories. It is not only the money that will help expansion into new arenas, but also the resources that the individual companies already have.
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Acceptance Essays
