Public Broadband Is Complementary To Private Networks

[Commentary] So there's a lot of talk about how, for good or bad, public broadband competes with private networks. Supporters of public broadband say that the impetus for these projects is a need for greater competition. Critics of public broadband paint it in terms of unfair government-subsidized competition that distorts markets. But I've got a different view: I think public broadband is complementary to private. Starting at a high level, public broadband projects fill that gap between what communities feel they want and need in terms of network capacity and performance, and what existing private operators are willing and able to deliver.