Despite its dramatic effect on the cable industry, Thursday's open Internet order isn't much of an omen for how FCC review of Comcast's planned buy of Time Warner Cable will play out, analysts, cable attorneys and ex-commission officials said in interviews Monday. Though the order addresses some of the concerns raised by opponents of the deal, it's not enough to protect consumers and new entrants from Comcast/TWC, said Dish Network Deputy General Counsel Jeffrey Blum and Public Knowledge Senior Staff Attorney John Bergmayer, representing the Stop MegaComcast Coalition, on a news media call Monday. The net neutrality order “doesn't come close” to addressing all of the ways a combined cable giant could hurt over-the-top video entrants and video competition, Blum said. “Our filings have shown consistently that consumers will lose no broadband choices in this transaction,” Comcast said in an email.

Google was granted a preliminary injunction against Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood by U.S. District Court in Jackson, Mississippi, said a Digital Citizens Alliance (DCA) news release. Hood’s supporters told us Monday's ruling highlights Judge Henry Wingate’s diligence in such a high-profile case. Google advocates said the decision points to a higher likelihood of its eventual success in the case. The order wasn’t available in docket no. 3:14-cv-00981, and the court clerk didn’t comment.

Despite its dramatic effect on the cable industry, Thursday's open Internet order isn't much of an omen for how FCC review of Comcast's planned buy of Time Warner Cable will play out, analysts, cable attorneys and ex-commission officials said in interviews Monday. Though the order addresses some of the concerns raised by opponents of the deal, it's not enough to protect consumers and new entrants from Comcast/TWC, said Dish Network Deputy General Counsel Jeffrey Blum and Public Knowledge Senior Staff Attorney John Bergmayer, representing the Stop MegaComcast Coalition, on a news media call Monday. The net neutrality order “doesn't come close” to addressing all of the ways a combined cable giant could hurt over-the-top video entrants and video competition, Blum said. “Our filings have shown consistently that consumers will lose no broadband choices in this transaction,” Comcast said in an email.

Allowing Ericsson to establish a voting trust for its interest in Telcordia doesn’t ease concerns about Telcordia’s ability to act neutrally as the local number portability administrator (see 1502100040), Neustar said in a letter to the FCC posted Friday in docket 09-109. The commission has “made clear” that voting trusts can't be used to address neutrality concerns, and federal procurement rules don't allow voting trusts, Neustar said. “To permit Ericsson to modify its bid -- while not providing the same opportunity to Neustar -- would be unlawful,” the letter said. Neustar had raised questions about Telcordia’s neutrality given Ericsson’s business relationships (see 1408250042). "Neustar's arguments are meritless," emailed Telcordia attorney John Nakahata of Harris Wiltshire. "There is no current neutrality problem and the potential structure was purely prophylactic. The order could be adopted without this trust. The important thing at this point is to finish the selection so that the transition can begin and consumers and carriers can begin to save money."

ISPs will battle FCC reclassification of broadband service under Communications Act Title II in the courts, on Capitol Hill and possibly through pressure on a successor executive branch and FCC, Mediacom CEO Rocco Commisso told us in an interview shortly after Thursday’s commission meeting (see 1502260043). The interview will be shown on C-SPAN's The Communicators. The FCC and the courts are likely to take “a long time” to resolve the likely challenges to net neutrality rules, Commisso said. Though he didn’t say Mediacom would sue over the new rules, he said it was a possibility and he was sure many entities would. The FCC’s open Internet order will create such a windfall for Washington attorneys that they’ll be able to take yearlong vacations, he told us.

ISPs will battle FCC reclassification of broadband service under Communications Act Title II in the courts, on Capitol Hill and possibly through pressure on a successor executive branch and FCC, Mediacom CEO Rocco Commisso told us in an interview shortly after Thursday’s commission meeting (see 1502260043). The interview will be shown on C-SPAN's The Communicators. The FCC and the courts are likely to take “a long time” to resolve the likely challenges to net neutrality rules, Commisso said. Though he didn’t say Mediacom would sue over the new rules, he said it was a possibility and he was sure many entities would. The FCC’s open Internet order will create such a windfall for Washington attorneys that they’ll be able to take yearlong vacations, he told us.

After a hectic last days before passage of net neutrality rules, the FCC made some changes Thursday to the draft floated by Chairman Tom Wheeler three weeks ago, but rejected others and left the original proposal largely intact, we're told.

After a hectic last days before passage of net neutrality rules, the FCC made some changes Thursday to the draft floated by Chairman Tom Wheeler three weeks ago, but rejected others and left the original proposal largely intact, we're told.

While the FCC is expected to approve proposed net neutrality rules Thursday, discussions were continuing there on some significant details in the order reclassifying broadband. A change apparently sought by Commissioner Mignon Clyburn to remove a specific legal relationship between edge providers and ISPs appears to be out, said a commission official Wednesday. Neither Clyburn nor the agency would comment.

While the FCC is expected to approve proposed net neutrality rules Thursday, discussions were continuing there on some significant details in the order reclassifying broadband. A change apparently sought by Commissioner Mignon Clyburn to remove a specific legal relationship between edge providers and ISPs appears to be out, said a commission official Wednesday. Neither Clyburn nor the agency would comment.