Can Google Still Claim It's Not Competing With... >>
<< Drivers' Submission To GPS Units Prompts...
 tdicon 

Surprises

by Mike Masnick

Thu, Feb 22nd 2007 6:22am





Pennsylvannia Suddenly Not Sure Why It Approved Verizon-MCI Merger

from the whoooops dept

Only a year and a half or so after Verizon was given the okay to buy MCI, Pennsylvania is suddenly questioning the decision. Apparently, a state court found that the Public Utility Commission (PUC) "did not study the anticompetitive effects of the merger" and didn't make sure that the merger would benefit customers. Seems a bit late to suddenly be questioning the decision -- though, it could mean that the PUC will go back and impose additional conditions on Verizon (sure to be contested). Of course, Pennsylvania has a long, sordid history of letting Verizon (and its predecessors) slide on various agreements. For the various tax breaks given by the state, Verizon was supposed to be delivering much faster connections to many more homes. Instead, they took the money and ran... and now it looks like they got away with a merger without significant review as well.

9 Comments | Leave a Comment

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments (rss)

(Flattened / Threaded)

  1.  
    identicon
    Karnov, Feb 22nd, 2007 @ 6:48am

    Thats PA for ya.

    Gotta love the bureaucracies we have here in the glorious state of PA.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    Silver Bullet, Feb 22nd, 2007 @ 8:43am

    Dont Worry About PA

    we'll all be saved by all that gambling revenue, so it wont matter anyway.

    Yeah.
    Right.
    -E

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    Overcast, Feb 22nd, 2007 @ 8:47am

    I'm sure some politician made a big load of cash off of it. It's the only thing that politicians really care about... oh well that and money too.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    Zalamander, Feb 22nd, 2007 @ 8:56am

    Re: Dont Worry About PA

    yhea right is right. I live in Jersey and I haven't seen one benefit from the casinos. Or the toll roads for that matter. Capitalism is a wonderful thing especially when its Bureaucrats who F*** up and then expect you to pay more to fix it. Unfriggin real.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    Alexander Fairley, Feb 22nd, 2007 @ 8:56am

    Syntax Error!

    'Of course, if Pennsylvania has a long, sordid history of letting Verizon (and its predecessors) slide on various agreements.'
    Won't compile...

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  
    icon
    chris (profile), Feb 22nd, 2007 @ 9:16am

    Re: Re: Dont Worry About PA

    Capitalism is a wonderful thing especially when its Bureaucrats who F*** up and then expect you to pay more to fix it.

    that's not capitalism :-(

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  
    identicon
    Eveil, Feb 22nd, 2007 @ 10:56am

    Not Capitalism.

    @Zalamander:

    That's not Capitalism, man.

    A rep from Verizon probably took a PA politico out for a nice meal and... *70s porn music begins to play*.

    Market forces don't mean jack when an industry is regulated by the government.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  
    identicon
    mrgrimm, Feb 22nd, 2007 @ 11:00am

    All industries everywhere are regulated by governm

    Except for pirates, of course. And other black markets.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  
    identicon
    ScytheNoire, Feb 23rd, 2007 @ 2:53am

    once again, politicians are being controled by corporations in the practice of screwing over society.

    Good Job America! Corporations FTL!

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


Add Your Comment

Have a Techdirt Account? Sign in now. Want one? Register here
Get Techdirt’s Daily Email
Save me a cookie
  • Note: A CRLF will be replaced by a break tag (<br>), all other allowable HTML will remain intact
  • Allowed HTML Tags: <b> <i> <a> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <hr> <tt>
Can Google Still Claim It's Not Competing With... >>
<< Drivers' Submission To GPS Units Prompts...
 tdicon 
Follow Techdirt
Flattr rss rss
A word from our Sponsors...
Sponsored Resource
Essential Reading
Techdirt Reading List
Techdirt Insider Chat

A word from our Sponsors...
Recent Stories

Friday

7:39pm: In Defense Of Digital Freedom: It's Time To Get Beyond 'Cyber' Hyperbole (23)
6:40pm: Xbox One Release: Tons Of Questions, Very Few Answers (75)
5:37pm: Think DOJ Spying On Reporters Was 'Unprecedented'? Think Again (6)
5:00pm: DailyDirt: DIY Soda (Pop Or Whatever You Call Carbonated Beverages) (7)
3:51pm: Petition Asks Obama To Support Treaty For The Blind, Rather Than Siding With Hollywood (15)
2:46pm: Fair Use For Me, But Not For Thee (26)
1:45pm: Another Court Tells Prenda To Pay Up On Attorneys Fees (21)
12:45pm: If You Thought Copyright Was A Mess On Earth, What Does It Look Like In Space? (23)
11:45am: Guy Sues Twitter For Taking Away His Twitter Handle (12)
10:40am: Copyright... Patent... It's All The Same To The World's Third-Largest News Agency (57)
More arrow
A word from our Sponsors...

Close

Email This