Dynamic Competition in Broadband Markets: A 2024 Update

In mid-2021, the International Center for Law & Economics (ICLE) published a white paper on the state of broadband competition in the United States, which concluded that:

• The U.S. broadband market was generally healthy and competitive, with 95.6% of the population having access to high-speed broadband;
• Concentration metrics are poor predictors of competitiveness—broadband markets can be dynamic and competitive even with only a few providers. Indeed, in some cases, increased concentration can result from efficiency gains and innovation, benefiting consumers through better services; and
• Municipal broadband often requires significant taxpayer subsidies or cross-subsidies from other municipal enterprises, and is thus an example of “predatory entry,” rather than market competition.

Rather than repeat the analysis conducted in the 2021 report, in this report, we investigate the extent to which broadband competition has evolved over the past three years. We find that it has been a rapid evolution:

• More households are connected to the internet;
• Broadband speeds have increased, while prices have fallen;
• More households are served by multiple providers; and
• New technologies like satellite and 5G have expanded internet access and intermodal competition among providers.