Wires for the other half (Score 1)

There's a couple of reasons why I think Katz is overreacting: 1) AOL/TW is in no position to monopolize the pipe into peoples' homes. Broadband is shaping up quite nicely, with Telcos (xDSL) and Cable Companies already competing. In the foreseeable future, we might also get additional competition via digital powerline and wireless solutions. 2) Of course, there's powerful economic reasons for the merger: AOL gets the broadband access it's been longing for, and TW gets a decent online outlet for their media. But in the mid-term future, the deal will probably bring lots of digital innovation into households, especially video and audio delivery. However, AOL/TW will not be able monopolize content, and that means that they might have to cooperate in the end, if people want to download Sony films, for example. 3) AOL may be an incredibly dull company, appealing to an, uh, digitally challenged audicence. But that's only by internet standards. Noone would ever think of phone or cable service as evil, simply because they're trying to make things as easy as possible for the majority of non tech-savvy people. With AOL/TW, the "normalization" of the internet is finally beginning. Remember that you it's hard to reach the non-wired 50% of Americans with PC-based solutions. That's why growth is leveling off at the moment. AOL/TW and similar deals will be instrumental in spreading the internet to more people. 4) I believe in the power of open standards and free markets. AOL will not be able to monopolize internet content. Nor will anyone else. The internet's diversity will thrive and appeal to people, even and maybe especially those used to AOL's monoculture. AOL might actually become even more of a proprietary front end to the internet than it already is.