Roberts: Comcast Merger “Full Steam Ahead”

Despite concerns raised by President Obama's "net neutrality" announcement.

Brian Roberts

Any number of concerns in recent months might’ve derailed the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger, but nothing has so far — not even President Obama’s newly announced support for net neutrality principles.

Despite concerns that announcement might derail the merger, Comcat CEO Brian Roberts said Wednesday the merger is still a go.

Reuters:

Some analysts thought [Obama’s] comments cast uncertainty over how regulators intended to implement the principle of net neutrality, and in turn cast doubt on the merger deal.

“We are in the final stages of public comment. Sometimes things get slowed down in that phase,” Roberts said. “We are full steam ahead.”

But there are delays on the horizon: New York’s Public Service Commission was scheduled to vote today on whether to allow the merger; that vote has been delayed. The state’s approval is considered key to the overall federal approval Comcast must receive to proceed with the merger.