The Future of American Broadband Is a Comcast Monopoly

The Federal Communications Commission released a new, 182-page Communications Marketplace Report it claims proves the US broadband industry is awash with vibrant competition. In reality, consumer groups, third-party data and the report itself paint a starkly different picture; one where consumers increasingly only have access to just one Internet service provider: Comcast.

Most DSL providers still fail to deliver the FCC’s base definition of broadband (25 Mbps) to huge swaths of their footprints. Why? Despite billions in subsidies over the years, upgrading these aging networks isn’t profitable enough, quickly enough, for Wall Street’s liking. As a result, many telcos have shifted their focus elsewhere, leaving frustrated users in their wake. As a result, companies like Comcast and Charter Spectrum are quietly securing a greater monopoly over broadband. Less competition means that, contrary to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr’s claims, American consumers continue to pay some of the highest prices for broadband in the developed world—while receiving some of the worst customer service of any sector in America.  While the FCC insists that broadband is getting cheaper, faster, and more widely available thanks to its recent policies (like killing net neutrality), most American consumers’ first-hand experiences—and the FCC’s own data—continue to paint a dramatically different picture.