AT&T/Bellsouth Merger Still not approved...

... and  this merger should not be approved! This merger would create the countries biggest provider of  telephone, wireless and broadband services. We do not need one company having this kind of control over these resources!

    Both companies have been waiting for seven months for the F.C.C. to act on the decision. FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin has stated that he does not know when a decision will be made because of differences between the GOP and  the Democrats on various matters pertaining to the merger.

    Martin is for the merger as is the GOP without issuing any restrictions to either company. The Democrats want safeguards to protect the consumers and to make sure that there is competition in the industry.

    From WaPo : One of the main obstacles is disagreement over whether to require a "net neutrality" condition that would bar AT&T from asking different Internet services to pay different prices for using its lines.

   To break the deadlock on the five-member board, the FCC's general counsel ruled last week that the potential swing vote, Republican Commissioner Robert M. McDowell, could take part in the consideration despite his concerns of a conflict of interest. McDowell has so far refrained from participating in the commission's review of the proposed merger because he previously worked as senior vice president for Comptel, as association that lobbied on behalf of companies competing with AT&T and BellSouth.     Read More HERE