Comcast, Cox Face Effective Competition From AT&T VMPD, FCC Staff Says

The AT&T TV Now vMVPD service is effective competition to Comcast and Cox Communications in a variety of Massachusetts communities, which now are exempt from basic cable rate regulation, said a Media Bureau order Monday granting the cablers' petitions (see 1912190070). The bureau pointed to the FCC's similar effective competition order granted to Charter, also based on the vMVPD. The Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable is challenging this before the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (see 2010080052). The department didn't comment now.