US-based online video streaming service Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) has pledged its support for cableco Charter Communications’ (NASDAQ: CHTR)’ planned takeovers of Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) and Bright House Networks on the grounds that New…
US-based online video streaming service Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) has pledged its support for cableco Charter Communications’ (NASDAQ: CHTR)’ planned takeovers of Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) and Bright House Networks on the grounds that New Charter will afford it free access to its network.
Charter said in an FCC filing that it will extend the “settlement-free internet interconnection policy” it has employed for a number of years to 31 December 2018, citing this as one reason why its purchases of TWC and Bright House are in the public interest. Specifically, Charter said it would not charge any online video company to stream content over its network until the above date.
In a separate FCC filing, Netflix vice president, global public policy, Christopher Libertelli, extolled the company’s “long-standing support for an open interconnection policy”. He described Charter’s updated peering policy as “a welcome and significant departure from the efforts of some ISPs to collect access tolls on the internet”.
“Netflix believes that this new policy and the commitment to apply it across the New Charter footprint is a substantial public interest benefit and will support scaling the internet to meet consumers’ growing demand for online services and help foster continued innovation across the internet ecosystem.”
Netflix, a customer of both Charter and TWC, voiced strong objections to Comcast’s attempted acquisition of TWC, abandoned earlier this year. The popular streaming service had previously agreed, reluctantly, to pay Comcast for access to its network.
