John Oliver’s rock-solid case for the repeal of Title II

[Commentary] HBO’s John Oliver made a case for Title II’s repeal as solid as any telecom lobbyist could make: namely, that the status of the nation’s utility infrastructure is deplorable, and that a lack of political urgency on the issue ensures it will remain that way.

In his 20-minute segment, Oliver argued that the maintenance of America’s dams, roadways, pipelines, and bridges is urgent and incredibly important. Oliver noted that pretty much everyone – from labor unions to commerce advocates, from Republicans to Democrats – agrees that reliable infrastructure is vital to America’s success. But infrastructure repair is politically dull, which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to find funding for it. It makes no sense, then, to claim that the Internet in the US would thrive under the regulatory regime Oliver and his fans have clamored for in recent months. Why would we want to subject funding for the repair and advancement of the Internet to the political whims of local, state, and federal governments? Why should the FCC turn its back on decades of progress – on an Internet whose average speeds advance by a third every year, and whose domestic users account for the second-highest level of traffic per capita in the world – in favor of a system which fosters crumbling dams, potholes, water main breaks, gas leaks, and various other disasters? The answer is: it shouldn’t. The FCC should heed John Oliver’s own warning and repeal Title II -- before the Internet becomes a disaster in its own right.