Netflix, a thorn in Comcast’s failed pursuit of Time Warner Cable, is extending its support to Charter Communications’ pending acquisitions of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, so long as Charter intends to extend its current "settlement-free" interconnection policy to the acquired systems.
Netflix’s support (explained in this filing) came about as Charter filed a document with the FCC Wednesday tied to its proposed deals pledging to maintain its current settlement-free policy “until December 31, 2018,” holding that the “commitment will further ensure that approval of the Transaction is in the public interest.”
Netflix has reluctantly entered paid interconnection deals with Comcast, TWC, AT&T and Verizon Communications (Bright House is drafting off of the TWC-Netflix agreement), holding that they violate network neutrality rules. Under its new rules, the FCC will review interconnection-related complaints on a case-by-case basis. Netflix has not said if it plans to file any complaints; Cogent has put the idea of lodging a complaint on the back burner as it tried to negotiate separately with ISPs.
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