Trump vs. Clinton: Who's Better On Telecom?

Evaluating Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on technology and telecommunication policy issues poses an interesting challenge. Clinton has laid out detailed proposals on issues ranging from network neutrality to expanding broadband access to increasing broadband competition. Trump has not, and there is very little material in the public record with which to evaluate his positions. On the issues where Trump has taken a public position, his statements indicate a troubling ignorance of technical facts, and an alarming willingness to peddle blatant falsehoods for political gain.

Clinton has presented a detailed set of policy proposals aimed at ensuring Internet openness and reducing the digital divide by encouraging broadband deployment, including at the community level, and increasing competition in markets often dominated by a dwindling number of corporate giants. Trump has largely ignored issues like the digital divide and broadband competition, and his erroneous statements on issues like net neutrality and the Internet governance transition suggest that he has little grasp of, or interest in, tech and telecom policy.