Broadcom accused of abusing dominant position in the US

Date:
Tue, 06 Jul 2021 13:28:37 +0000

Description:
Broadcom is accused of abusing its position in the TV set top box and router market.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has accused Broadcom for illegally monopolising the markets for chips for TV set top boxes (STBs) and Wi-Fi routers and has proposed a settlement that would see any charges dropped.

The FTC believes Broadcom has a monopolistic position in three types of chips and is one of only a few suppliers in five other categories of semiconductor. The Commission concludes these circumstances amount to a dominant position that the company has been abusing.

Specifically, Broadcom is alleged to have entered into long-term agreements with major device manufacturers that prevented customers from sourcing chips from competitors or promised favourable terms for their loyalty. We've built
a list of the best business smartphones out there What is 5G ? Everything you need to know Check out our list of the best mobile plans for business
Broadcom antitrust

These actions, the FTC says, have created insurmountable barriers that
prevent any rival from competing in these markets on merit.

To resolve the issue, the FTC has proposed a consent order that would see Broadcom agree to not enter into any type of exclusivity deal or loyalty agreement or retaliate against customers from doing business with a competitor.

Todays complaint reflects the Commissions commitment to enforcing the antitrust laws against monopolists, including in high-technology industries, said FTC Bureau of Competition Acting Director Holly Vedova.

America has a monopoly problem. Todays action is a step toward addressing
that problem by pushing back against strong-arm tactics by a monopolist in important markets for key broadband components. There is much more work to be done and we need the tools and resources to do it. But I have full confidence in FTC staffs commitment to this effort.

Broadcom faced a similar investigation by the European Commision in 2020 before the issue was settled.

The company has been approached for comment. These are the best 5G phones available today



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/broadcom-accused-of-abusing-dominant-position-i n-the-us/


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)