FTC charges chipmaker

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on Friday it is charging chip supplier Broadcom with monopolizing the market.

The agency said the company used exclusive deals to monopolize semiconductor components that are used to deliver television and broadband internet services.

The FTC also put out a proposed consent order for the company that would settle the charges if Broadcom stopped the exclusive deals they were putting their customers in.

“We are pleased to move toward resolving this Broadband matter with the FTC on terms that are substantially similar to our previous settlement with the EC [European Commission] involving the same products,” a spokesperson for Broadcom said.