WASHINGTON: The US Federal Trade Commission said in a statement on Friday that it has filed a proposed order to settle antitrust charges against semiconductor maker Broadcom Inc. According to the FTC, the consent order requires Broadcom to stop requiring its customers to buy components from them exclusively or primarily.
Broadcom expressed its satisfaction with the outcome in a statement. “While we disagree that our activities were illegal and with the FTC’s portrayal of our business,” it said, “we look forward to putting this matter behind us.” Broadcom and the European Commission achieved a similar deal in October 2020. Broadcom held a monopoly in three types of semiconductors used in TV set-top boxes and broadband devices, according to the FTC. The settlement was approved 4-0 by the commission, with Chair Lina Khan, who joined the panel in June, abstaining.
(Dianne Bartz contributed reporting; Akanksha Rana contributed additional reporting; Jonathan Oatis and Dan Grebler edited the piece.)
Reuters is the source of this information./n
