Broadband and electricity: the perils of the public utility model

[Commentary] Broadband should be like electricity. Or so says Professor Susan Crawford, whose 2012 book Captive Audience calls for public utility-style regulation of the nation’s broadband networks. Electricity is ubiquitous and inexpensive. Anywhere I go, I can plug in my electronic device and immediately get power. Professor Crawford and others argue that the government should impose common carrier regulations on broadband providers, which will lead to similarly inexpensive Internet access for all. On the surface, the parallels between broadband and electricity are intriguing. So it’s worthwhile to pause and consider just how bad an idea it would be to subject the broadband industry to the convoluted regulatory environment that governs electricity.