"Like any transaction of this size, the proposed Charter - Time Warner Cable - Bright House transaction will receive scrutiny from the FCC and the Department of Justice and the public. But I hope that such scrutiny will focus on the merits of the transaction and not hyperbolic reactions from some quarters that characterize many media and telecom combinations.  

The most important fact to consider is that this proposed transaction is principally a 'horizontal' combination in which the three cable operators do not compete against each other in any material way in any market segment with respect to their broadband data, video, and voice telephony offerings. Instead, the real competition each company confronts, whether separately or as a combined entity, is in the broader, dynamic broadband marketplace. This marketplace involves competition among various facilities-based network platforms that are in direct competition with each other - the cable operators, the telephone companies, the satellite operators, and the wireless companies, all employing differing technology platforms. The objective of public policy should be to foster effective competition in this facilities-based broadband marketplace as the providers seek to attract and retain consumers, both residential and business, with their various data, video, and voice offerings.

It is important to note that none of the three cable operators have significant interests in the content marketplace that would appear to create incentives for them to discriminate against unaffiliated content providers. This is why the proposed combination is chiefly a 'horizontal' combination. It is also important to appreciate that, in light of the competition in the broadband marketplace, cable operators, as well as other facilities-based providers, are required to invest billions of dollars each year to maintain and upgrade their networks to provide ever greater bandwidth capacity and high reliability. The proposed transaction may well support such increased ongoing investment to the benefit of all consumers."