Comcast Extends Standalone Broadband Service, Pays Treasury $800,000 Beneath Acceptance Direct Terms

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Jul 11, 2012 12:04 PM

The FCC Enforcement Bureau has adopted a acceptance direct that resolves an scrutiny of Comcast concerning its correspondence with conditions placed on the firm to win approval of the Comcast-NBCU merger, the assignment mentioned June 27.

Under the acceptance decree, Comcast concluded to a one-year prolongation of a condition requiring the firm to publicize and offer standalone broadband service together with to pay the U.S. Treasury $800,000 as segment of the join up settlement.

Comcast originally won FCC approval is to join up in January 2011 theme to a few conditions. One compulsory Comcast to offer a broadband Internet service choice to customers who do not register to the company's line TV service. To win approval, the firm concluded to offer broadband service with a download speed of at least 6Mb/s at a cost of no more than $49.95 for 3 years.

The acceptance direct requires Comcast to go on to offer its standalone broadband Internet service, called "Performance Starter," until at least Feb. 21, 2015.

Under the conditions of the initial join up authorization, Comcast was compulsory to "visibly offer and actively market" its standalone Internet access service. According to the acceptance direct announcement, the assignment received data that referred to the firm was not "adequately" selling its standalone broadband service, that stirred the group to investigate.

The acceptance direct enclosed a accumulation of supplies to publicize the service, such as conducting an ad promotion about the standalone service in 2012 and inventory the servi ce on its product list offering to customers.

"Today's action demonstrates that correspondence with assignment orders is not optional," mentioned FCC chairperson Julius Genachowski in a press let go announcing the acceptance decree. "The remedies voiced currently will gain consumers and encourage competition, inclusive from online video and heavenly body providers, by ensuring that standalone broadband is indeed existing in Comcast's service areas. we am gratified we were able to finish this issue."