IP Democracy: AT&T-BellSouth Merger Vote Delayed for Third Time

My little birdies were right - the FCC won’t be voting on the AT&T-BellSouth merger tomorrow at a special meeting called by Chairman Kevin Martin. Martin, who had originally proposed that the merger be approved by the FCC with no conditions, was thwarted by his two Democratic fellow commissioners, Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, who want some conditions imposed on the merger.

Martin has already had to postpone a vote on the deal twice before given that without the two commissioners’ approval, the FCC is deadlocked. Republican commissioner Robert McDowell has recused himself from a vote given past lobbying activities against the incumbent telcos, leaving only Republican commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate to side with Martin. McDowell may now be forced by Martin to vote anyway in order to break the stalemate.

AT&T had offered a set of last-minute conditions it would agree to and the FCC put those out for public comment on October 15 at the request of Copps and Adelstein. AT&T blamed the third delay on “self interest of commercial entities and their litany of unreasonable demands,” presumably a reference to net neutrality advocates who saw an opening in the Commission’s delays to push for strong conditions that would bar AT&T from discriminating against third-party providers in the broadband services it provides.

But, the truth is that the Democratic party is preparing for a sweep that could wrest the House of Representatives (and, less likely, the Senate) away from the Republicans. Copps and Adelstein are just feeling their oats at a time when the Democratic party has remarkable and unexpected momentum.

Given the magnitude of the negative fall-out if the deal isn’t ultimately approved by the FCC, it’s probable that McDowell will pitch in and get the approval done. But that’s going to be a black mark on the Republicans and a less-than-glorious outcome for the FCC.

Posted by Cynthia Brumfield on November 2, 2006 11:00 PM to IP Democracy