Broadcom faces a major antitrust investigation. Gizmodo reports the Federal Trade Commission has accused Broadcom of "illegally dominating" the market for TV chips and broadband. Broadcom was accused of striking exclusive deals with service providers and vendors that prevented them buying chips from other suppliers.Broadcom was also accused by the FTC of obtaining "exclusivity" and "loyalty commitments" for chips supplies. This made it difficult for companies compete on their merits. Although the vote was close to unanimous, Lina Khan, newly appointed Commissioner, bowed out.Broadcom would be prohibited from negotiating loyalty and exclusivity deals. Broadcom would also be barred from conditioning chip access on the basis of commitments. The Commission would also ban retaliation for customers who purchase from Broadcom's rivals.Broadcom indicated to Engadget it was open to a settlement. Broadcom disagreed with the FTC's depiction and claimed it didn't violate the law. The full statement can be viewed below.In recent years, regulators haven't been very supportive of the chipset giant. It tried to acquire Qualcomm in 2017 and 2018, but the White House stopped the deal. Even though a settlement is possible, we wouldn't be surprised if regulators make too many concessions. Broadcom isn't shy about its desire to be the dominant chip company. The FTC will need assurances that the company won't push the boundaries in the future.
