Analysts expressed general relief Tuesday, after AT&T’s Monday announcement of its much-rumored DirecTV Now service that had been labeled by some as a “cable killer” due to margin-strapped pricing. Wells Fargo analyst Jennifer Fritzsche referred to a “collective exhale” after AT&T’s reveal at the DirecTV Now launch (see 1611280058) that the $35-per-month plan for 100 channels is a limited-time offer.
Touting flexibility, simplicity and a potential market it was unable to reach in the past, AT&T unveiled its long-awaited DirecTV Now service at a news conference in New York Monday, 36 hours ahead of the over-the-top service's go time. With no hardware installation needed, no credit checks for subscribers and the ability for customers to cancel service any time without penalty, DirecTV Now is targeted to the 20 million U.S. households that aren't part of the TV ecosystem, said John Stankey, CEO-AT&T Entertainment Group.
Touting flexibility, simplicity and a potential market it was unable to reach in the past, AT&T unveiled its long-awaited DirecTV Now service at a news conference in New York Monday, 36 hours ahead of the over-the-top service's go time. With no hardware installation needed, no credit checks for subscribers and the ability for customers to cancel service any time without penalty, DirecTV Now is targeted to the 20 million U.S. households that aren't part of the TV ecosystem, said John Stankey, CEO-AT&T Entertainment Group.
Touting flexibility, simplicity and a potential market it was unable to reach in the past, AT&T unveiled its long-awaited DirecTV Now service at a news conference in New York Monday, 36 hours ahead of the over-the-top service's go time. With no hardware installation needed, no credit checks for subscribers and the ability for customers to cancel service any time without penalty, DirecTV Now is targeted to the 20 million U.S. households that aren't part of the TV ecosystem, said John Stankey, CEO-AT&T Entertainment Group.
While most view the nearly empty agenda for Nov. 17's commissioners' meeting as an indication the agency is on pause (see 1611150052) until the next administration takes over, there's room for commission action in the final gathering of this FCC, attorneys and industry officials told us. Legislators directed the FCC not to take up controversial topics. The agency has a statutorily required meeting Dec. 15, and many industry officials said there’s a lobbying opportunity during this limbo period for advocates of items that could receive support from all five commissioners or be resolved at the bureau level. The January meeting is after Inauguration Day. With the stance of the next FCC still unclear, many regulated entities may seek to conduct business in front of this commission while they still can, because of the increased certainty, said Fletcher Heald broadcast lawyer Peter Tannenwald.
American Action Forum Director-Technology and Innovation Policy Will Rinehart told us that he and his group are providing "outside guidance" to the Donald Trump transition team but he isn't formally part of the transition team or its FCC "landing" team, as some said (see 1611170041). He said AAF recently put out a tech policy agenda and has been gearing up for the transition, but the group is "more focused on policy than the politics." Also as of Friday, Jeff Eisenach's status on the team seems in limbo, two knowledgeable people told us, a day after speculation and rumors circulated widely that he might have been removed. "It's not so much that he's been definitely dumped," said an industry source, who noted it's unclear if Eisenach will be removed as leader of the Trump transition's FCC team. There does appear to be a short "pause" in the FCC transition team's effort as some sort of review is conducted, the industry source said. An attorney agreed: "There is a pause and review going on. After the pause and review, nobody knows what will happen." Eisenach didn't comment. The Trump transition team didn't comment to us on Eisenach or its FCC team. The Trump team is expected to announce its economic policy landing teams Monday, and those dealing with domestic policy and independent agencies Tuesday, transition officials earlier said (see 1611180020).
American Action Forum Director-Technology and Innovation Policy Will Rinehart told us that he and his group are providing "outside guidance" to the Donald Trump transition team but he isn't formally part of the transition team or its FCC "landing" team, as some said (see 1611170041). He said AAF recently put out a tech policy agenda and has been gearing up for the transition, but the group is "more focused on policy than the politics." Also as of Friday, Jeff Eisenach's status on the team seems in limbo, two knowledgeable people told us, a day after speculation and rumors circulated widely that he might have been removed. "It's not so much that he's been definitely dumped," said an industry source, who noted it's unclear if Eisenach will be removed as leader of the Trump transition's FCC team. There does appear to be a short "pause" in the FCC transition team's effort as some sort of review is conducted, the industry source said. An attorney agreed: "There is a pause and review going on. After the pause and review, nobody knows what will happen." Eisenach didn't comment. The Trump transition team didn't comment to us on Eisenach or its FCC team. The Trump team is expected to announce its economic policy landing teams Monday, and those dealing with domestic policy and independent agencies Tuesday, transition officials earlier said (see 1611180020).
Bidding on Stage 3 of the reverse auction will be suspended from Wednesday, Nov. 23, through Friday, Nov. 25 if bidding hasn’t yet concluded, the Incentive Auction Task Force said in a message on the auction’s online Public Reporting System Friday. Bidding in the auction would resume Monday, Nov. 28, in that circumstance, the PRS note said.
Google’s decision to scale back its fiber push shows why municipal broadband remains critical to spreading high-speed broadband, community broadband advocates told us Wednesday. Google Access CEO Craig Barratt said that Google Fiber will pause operations in exploratory cities where it hasn’t begun construction, cutting jobs as the company refines its strategy. Barratt will depart as CEO but will stay at Google parent Alphabet as an adviser. The moves follow fiber build delays in California and speculation that Google Fiber was reconsidering its technology strategy (see 1609070026).
Google’s decision to scale back its fiber push shows why municipal broadband remains critical to spreading high-speed broadband, community broadband advocates told us Wednesday. Google Access CEO Craig Barratt said that Google Fiber will pause operations in exploratory cities where it hasn’t begun construction, cutting jobs as the company refines its strategy. Barratt will depart as CEO but will stay at Google parent Alphabet as an adviser. The moves follow fiber build delays in California and speculation that Google Fiber was reconsidering its technology strategy (see 1609070026).