MDTC, Charter Disagree Over Petition Abeyance
Charter Communications is opposing a Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable (MDTC) request that Charter's petition for determination of effective competition in Massachusetts and Hawaii communities based on the presence of DirecTV Now be held in abeyance. Charter said MDTC's…
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argument about DirecTV Now's declining subscriber numbers relies on information that's both speculative and immaterial because the local exchange carrier test doesn't have a penetration requirement, in a docket 18-283 opposition posted Friday. It said if the FCC grants its petition and DirecTV Now ceases to compete in Hawaii and Massachusetts, those states can seek recertification to regulate it. MDTC in its abeyance petition said minus a turnaround there's no guarantee of DirecTV Now's continued viability. It also said the FCC instead should finalize its proposed changes to basic tier regulation by local franchise authorities (see 1810230037), which could make the Charter petition moot.