American Enterprise Institute

[Commentary] For all of the good intentions of the Federal Communications Commission, state utility regulators, and Lifeline advocates, numerous academic studies have demonstrated that the program is ineffective. The program has also been the victim of considerable fraud. What can be done? One solution may lie in the technology that made bitcoin possible: blockchain. Here’s how this might work for Lifeline.

[Commentary] The Lifeline program is one of the Federal Communications Commission’s most important, most noble ventures. It is also one of the most problematic, suffering repeated criticism from the Government Accountability Office and others for waste, fraud, and abuse. In an effort to reform the program, the FCC has suggested limiting Lifeline participation to facilities-based telecommunications providers.

[Commentary] Network neutrality advocates have found some new allies in their efforts to combat the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Restoring Internet Freedom Order: state governments. But ultimately, these initiatives are likely to be more symbolic than substantial. While the Communications Act gives states a significant role in telecommunications regulation, both the statute and broader constitutional doctrines limit the ability of a single state (or even a group of states) to dictate national policy.