Three Lessons from the History of Digital Television for Broadband Policy Development

[Commentary] Recent work from the scholars who study Internet speeds find the United States has fallen behind in its broadband development. Comparisons with Asian counterparts such as Singapore and South Korea underscores the success that some countries have had in leapfrogging ahead of our nation by offering ubiquitous fiber-to-the-premises capabilities to residential customers. The horse-race nature of this narrative is reminiscent of a similar history that played out on the world stage a few decades ago.

Retracing the chronology of digital television’s development can illustrate that organizing tomorrow’s policies around today’s technologies may be extremely difficult and unwise for the public interest. First, those who support what has been known as an “all-fiber” diet for broadband may well be fast movers but ultimately slower in what surely is a marathon race. Second, Federal Communications Commission decision-making that reflects a static rather than dynamic technological view may be quicker to complete in a rulemaking proceeding, but ultimately may be short-sided once certain premises change -- such as how users actually trade off various types of fixed and mobile broadband experiences. Third, as with digital television, there are powerful market forces at play that align with, rather than undermine, the public interest.