US: FCC plans update to video streaming competition rules

The Federal Communications Commission announced in a blog post Tuesday that it is considering new competition rules for online video streaming.

According to reports, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler noted in the post that the regulator is exploring ways online video providers like Netflix can access local and cable television content. Wheeler said online program packages are currently in the works for Dish Network, DirecTV, Verizon Communications and Sony.

The regulator added that the FCC is working “to update video competition rules so rules won’t act as a barrier to this kind of innovation.

The FCC is currently in the middle of a balancing act in how to regulate Internet service providers and content providers without limiting competition. The agency is reviewing several major mergers, including Comcast’s plans to acquire Time Warner Cable, and is the focus of the political debate over Net Neutrality and whether ISPs should be able to charge extra for content providers to have their content streamed more quickly than rivals’.

Full content: Bloomberg

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