by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
Once Net Neutrality finally, finally ends, there’s a good chance all hell will break loose between telcos and content providers — or more specifically the major websites of the Net who’s lifeblood is access. It would make a lot of sense in the next, say, two years, for Facebook in a mad struggle to keep access to its site “free” might buy a telco. It sounds bonkers now, but if consumers are being squeezed dry of money through any number of crazy access plans, Facebook — and Amazon and Google — might feel their hands are forced.
So, right now, you have Facebook, Amazon and Google as the major Websites on the Web. Meanwhile, Verizon, AT&T and Comcast are the big three access companies. Hence, I believe there’s going to be a lot of mixing and matching between these six different companies in the next few years.
The wild card, of course, is Apple. I could see Apple buying Nexflix then turning around and buying…Verizon?
Anyway, I think that’s the whole reason Net Neutrality was killed. The Powers That Be know there are epic sums of money to be made in M&A ones it’s gone and, well, consumers are fucked. At least in the short term until the MX Era begins around 2024.
