Copyright 2002 The Denver Post Corporation  
The Denver Post
April 2, 2002 Tuesday 2D EDITION
SECTION: BUSINESS; Pg. C-01

LENGTH: 298 words

HEADLINE: AT&T, Comcast vow more Net access to aid merger

BYLINE: By Jennifer Beauprez, Denver Post Business Writer,

BODY:
The $ 72 billion merger between Comcast Corp. and AT&T  Broadband may give consumers more choice for high-speed Internet  access. The two cable operators promised regulators that they will  negotiate agreements with other Internet service providers to  share their cable lines.

AT&T Broadband, based in Arapahoe County, has already signed  a deal with EarthLink Inc. to share its cable lines in Seattle,  Boston and other cities in 2003. Philadelphia-based Comcast and  Internet service provider United Online struck a similar agreement.

But the two companies made a more formal commitment to  regulators to negotiate other agreements with unaffiliated  Internet service providers to give consumers that choice,  according to documents filed Friday with the Federal  Communications Commission. Analysts say the move was aimed at  positioning the merger as pro-consumer to ensure FCC approval.     'It's good news to consumers because they will enforce that  promise to open their lines, and certain ISPs could offer better  prices,' said Sean Badding, an analyst with the Carmel Group,  which follows the cable and satellite industry.  

The FCC is  embroiled in a debate over whether cable providers should be  forced to ensure that consumers have open access to a range of  Internet service providers. The FCC recently elected to keep cable  lines deregulated. That decision is being challenged by consumer  groups and rival ISPs.

But mega-mergers may be resolving some of the debate. The  $ 133 billion AOL-Time Warner merger last year required the  companies to offer consumers a choice of Internet providers via  their cable systems, and analysts expect regulators to enforce  AT&T and Comcast's promises as well.

LOAD-DATE: April 02, 2002