Comcast officials continue to back their proposed merger with Time Warner Cable, despite recent claims that the deal may not receive approval from the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission.
"We continue to believe that our transaction with Time Warner Cable will bring substantial benefits to consumers without any competitive harms," Comcast said in a statement, according to the Washington Post.
"We will continue to engage in our productive discussions with the government and do not see any value in commenting on rumors and speculation."
The substantial benefits that will be offered to customers should the merger be approved by both agencies include improved deals on television packages and faster internet. The merger would also help to centralize cable and internet subscription services, making it easier for customers to manage their accounts.
However, the proposed merger has also been criticized for the possibility of it giving too much power to Comcast, which would become the largest cable company in the United States should it take over Time Warner. Anti-monopoly and small-business advocacy groups have cited unfair competition in future negotiations as a primary concern.
"Comcast said 'we're not in a monopoly situation because of TV' but guess what, in terms of broadband they've got over 50 percent of the U.S. market and the Justice Department doesn't like that," said Yahoo Finance Editor in Chief Andy Serwer.
Serwer believes the merger would provide an "a la carte" sort of cable package experience, adding that it is "probably going to be more expensive than the bundle...but you get exactly what you want."
Comcast was founded in 1963 and has been the owner of NBCUniversal since 2011.
