FCC Review of Altice/Cablevision Focusing on Debt Levels, Cable Modem Practices

Altice debt levels, broadband speeds and cable modem policies are among areas of interest to the FCC Wireline Bureau as it reviews Altice's plans to buy Cablevision. The agency posted its information request Thursday in docket 15-257 as it reviews Altice's planned $17.7 billion takeover of Cablevision. The bureau's seven-page request seeks a comparison of Altice's expected post-transaction debt levels compared with the eight largest U.S. cable companies and an explanations of how the deal would affect current peering policies of the two companies. Merger opponent Communications Workers of America raised the issue of post-deal debt, arguing it would result in cuts to employment and to customer service (see 1601270048). The bureau said it wanted information on Altice's plans for upgrading residential broadband speeds and how this differs from Cablevision's current upgrade plans. It asked numerous post-acquisition cable modem billing policy questions of Altice, including its plans for pricing of integrated and unintegrated modems and what the two companies' policies have been in the past regarding separate line-items on customers' bills for such modems. Modem maker Zoom Telephonics pushed for the FCC to designate Altice's Cablevision application for hearing, or for it to impose cable modem-related conditions (see 1512080013).