Broadband Competition Should Be Encouraged, Not Restricted

[Commentary] The experiences of Chattanooga (TN), Kansas City (MO), and other cities and towns like them concretely demonstrate the benefits of broadband entry for consumers.

The Open Technology Institute found that consumers have better options and faster speeds in communities where three or more providers compete. But according to a December 2014 report by the US Department of Commerce, less than one in 10 Americans is served by three or more wireline providers capable of providing 25 Mbps service -- the new threshold for broadband service proposed by Chairman Tom Wheeler of the Federal Communications Commission. The majority of Americans face (at best) a broadband duopoly.

The experience of cities like Chattanooga demonstrates that the prospect of new broadband entry actually appears to spur investment by incumbents. Competition -- whether provided by a private entity or a municipality -- works. It is important that legislators and policy makers considering restrictions recognize the vital role competition plays in achieving better, faster Internet services.

[Terell McSweeny is a Commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission]