Some advocacy groups in California want the state to tack on more conditions if it approves Charter’s $34.5 billion acquisition of Cox Communications. The companies and parties they settled with urged the state’s utility regulator against new terms. They want the deal approved at the California Public Utilities Commission’s August 13 meeting, one of the agency’s last voting meetings before Justice Department approval of the transaction expires.’
A collection of six consumer advocates including the California Alliance for Digital Equity (CADE) and Digital Equity Los Angeles (DELA) said in reply comments posted June 17 that the CPUC should impose more stringent affordability requirements if it approves the cable merger.
Charter and Cox already reached settlement agreements with CalAdvocates, the consumer advocacy office housed within CPUC, and the nonprofit California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF), but the other advocacy groups said last week those didn’t go far enough.