Submitted by Scott Cleland on Mon, 2006-10-02 12:20
I am pleased that critics are reading my latest one-pager on why broadband competition will flourish but not surprised that some of the critics are unmoved. One of my critics at Democraticmedia.org, Jeff Chester, blogs that I have drunk too much cable-telco kool-aid.
Jeff, I have known you for many years and its fair to say that you and I approach the same set of facts from very different perspectives and world views. You have been a big proponent of heavy government restrictions on business in media and communications and a big skeptic on the value of competition policy. I have been a big proponent of the opposite. We have shared common ground in the past and could in the future over opposition to genuine monopoly power that is unaffected by competition; however that is not the broadband world we live in today.
Submitted by Scott Cleland on Fri, 2006-09-29 11:59
In reading the FCC's Press release on the state of competitiveness in the wireless industry, it is obvious that wireless is a competitive industry. Prices fell 22% during 2005 alone from 9 cents a minute to 7 cents. The number of subscribers increased from 185m to 213m. In addition, JD Power reported wireless service quality increased. So on what basis are the online giants: Google, Yahoo, eBay, and Microsoft arguing that wireless is not competitive? and should be subject to net neutrality regulation for the first time since 1993? Where is the logic, merit or ethic of that self-serving position?
Submitted by Scott Cleland on Fri, 2006-09-29 11:25
I wanted to highlight FCC Chairman Martin's statement on the FCC's recent report on the competitiveness of the wireless market.
The Chairman's summary paragraph is powerful evidence of why the push for net neutrality to be applied to wireless service is so misguided and oblivious to the facts of the marketplace:
"Competition among mobile carriers has lowered the price consumers pay pay for mobile telephone service, stimulating rapid subscriber growth and greater usage of mobile phones. Competition has also encouragd mobile telephone carriers to improve service quality and to begin deploying significantly faster broadband technologies on their networks. The results demonstrate how a competitive marketplace -- rather than economic regulation -- provides the greatest benefits to the American consumer."
Submitted by Scott Cleland on Fri, 2006-09-29 09:01
Submitted by Scott Cleland on Wed, 2006-09-27 08:52
Submitted by Scott Cleland on Mon, 2006-09-25 15:59
Submitted by Scott Cleland on Fri, 2006-09-22 17:54
Industry proponents of Net neutrality come almost exclusively from the tech sector, where there is a well known "first mover advantage" that tends to create "highly concentrated markets" -- if one narrowly defines them like the neutr-elitists do for broadband.
Interestingly, the tech sector doesn't call for legislation to regulate their own highly concentrated tech markets. Let's review tech markets with their newfound and self-serving definition of market failure, as a market where most of the share is held by two players:
What about the software operating system market? We'll be kind and say Apple makes it a duopoly by tech's definition.
Submitted by Scott Cleland on Thu, 2006-09-21 17:46
Submitted by Scott Cleland on Wed, 2006-09-20 14:15
The recent high tech letter to Senate leaders against net neutrality is very helpful because it shows that many Silicon Valley and high tech companies also oppose preemptive net neutrality legislation.
This letter had a simple clear message: that no Internet regulation has been key to the Internet's success; that "correcting a nebulous concern many have severe unintended consequences"; and that net neutrality legislation could discourage investment in broadband networks.
Submitted by Scott Cleland on Wed, 2006-09-20 11:33
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