25 Mbps 美國上調寬帶定義
US regulators have thrown a new roadblock in the path of Comcast’s $45bn takeover of Time Warner Cable, rewriting their definition of broadband to paint the largest US cable company as a more dominant force in high-speed internet access.
美國監管機構更改了對寬帶的定義。按照新的定義，美國康卡斯特(Comcast)公司在高速互聯網接入領域的主導地位更大了，這爲美國最大有線電視公司收購時代華納有線(Time Warner Cable, 簡稱TWC)的450億美元交易設置了新的路障。The US communications watchdog voted 3-2 yesterday to define broadband as an internet service with download speeds of at least 25 megabits per second, compared with its previous definition of 4 Mbps.
昨天，美國通信監管機構——聯邦通信委員會(Federal Communication Commission，簡稱FCC)以3比2的票數，將寬帶定義爲下載速度至少達到每秒25兆比特的互聯網服務。相比之下，此前寬帶的定義爲每秒4兆比特。
The Federal Communication Commission’s decision has big implications for Comcast’s bid for TWC because it dramatically changes the competitive landscape for broadband — a central consideration for regulators deciding whether to approve the deal.
該委員會的決定對康卡斯特收購TWC的交易會產生巨大影響，原因是這一定義極大地改變了寬帶行業的競爭格局，而競爭格局是監管機構決定是否批准該交易的核心要素。
The change means the number of US families who have no choice in their broadband services provider will climb from 19 per cent to more than half. In most cases, that provider will be one of the big cable companies, which have fiercely resisted the change.
這一改變意味着，在美國家庭中，無法選擇寬帶服務提供商的家庭將從19%增加至半數以上。多數情況下，寬帶提供商將是幾大有線電視公司之一，這些公司一直在強烈抵制這一改變。The National Cable & Telecommunications Association, an industry lobby group, said the decision was “arbitrary” and “a clear effort to justify and expand the bounds of the FCC’s own authority”.
行業遊說團體——全國有線電視電信協會(National Cable & Telecommunications Association)表示，這一決定“十分武斷”，“其目的明顯是爲了樹立和擴大FCC自身權威”。The FCC split along party lines, with the three Democrats saying the proliferation of mobile devices, video streaming and the “internet of things” meant consumers needed superior internet speeds and Republicans saying 10Mb download speeds were sufficient.
FCC內部存在沿着黨派界線的分歧。三位民主黨成員表示，移動設備、視頻流服務和“物聯網”的激增，意味着消費者需要超高網速。而共和黨成員表示，10兆比特的下載速度足夠了。The Department of Justice must decide whether the Comcast-TWC deal is anti-competitive while the FCC will rule on whether it is in the public interest. Both agencies are taking longer than expected to assess the transaction. Comcast had hoped to complete the deal by the end of last year, but yesterday it extended its merger agreement with TWC by six months to August 12.
美國司法部(DoJ)必須裁定康卡斯特收購TWC的交易是否會導致壟斷，而FCC則要裁定該交易是否符合公共利益。兩家機構評估該交易所花的時間都超出了預期。康卡斯特原本希望在2014年底完成這一收購，昨天該公司卻將與TWC的併購協議延長了6個月，延至8月12日。
