| reply to LegoPower77
Re: Will the data show regulation the way to go? I doubt any of the data will show that deregulatory policies are not the best course of action. Sure we could wire every 300 person town with 100mbs, but at what cost? It's too bad the FCC has as much control as it does.
Broadband has hardly enough competitors for deregulatory matters to improve much at this point. Regulation of the industry during the 20th century helped set the regional monopoly stage now set.
I agree that the FCC, a federal body, has too much power in general, but I also think local authorities have too little leeway in forging their own networks. Whereas other countries with better penetration have introduced ambitious government directives, tax deals, and yes, even cross-subsidization plans for private and local government investment/partnership in broadband, and have, as such, expanded more rapidly available service and opened the market for provision competition, the U.S. has gone the opposite, staying largely mum on the subject and giving mixed regulatory signals. The courts have been even more bewildered, with ridiculous rulings both for and against local/state regulatory practices.
The U.S.'s broadband superiority has been falling rapidly in recent years and the current FCC's lack of vision has had a lot to do with it. An unwillingness to devote themselves to either side of the deregulation argument and an ambivalence about how to proactively promote partnership.
It will be lovely to see the data and formulate our own conclusions. |
