That’s the sound of the (policy) police: The FCC and Sprint’s unlimited data plan debacle

[Commentary] Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure had a stressful week. Following a botched announcement of Sprint’s new all-in mobile data plan – and the backlash that ensued – the company made an abrupt 180, dropping a policy that many consumers found to be misleading. It was a great example of how competition should play out: firms competing to offer consumers better options and calling each other out when they behave badly, without any need for regulators to get involved. But as bad as the week was for Claure, it should be seen as worse for the Federal Communications Commission, whose network neutrality rules likely drove Sprint to offer its consumer-unfriendly plan in the first place.

[Hurwitz is an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska College of Law]