Reason Foundation

Recent Research and Commentary

Rethinking Universal-Service Policy in a Broadband Internet Era

Bringing inexpensive broadband connectivity to as many people as possible
Policy Study 376

September 2, 2009

Steven Titch

Historically, government initiative was behind the great water and power infrastructure projects undertaken during the Progressive Era. Many see parallels between the need for electricity and running water in the past and the need for broadband today, and are calling for even more federal and state government involvement in the construction and deployment of broadband. The general belief is that broadband, like water, power and one-time narrowband phone service, is a utility.

Broadband, in truth, has little in common with classic utilities. The only real similarity is that the underlying infrastructure is expensive to build. Utilities require high investment up front, which can be amortized over several decades. Broadband requires not only high investment up front but continued high investment thereafter. Technology cycles are short. Entire network platforms change every five to ten years. Broadband is also competitive across multiple facilities platforms—telephone, cable and wireless—each with relative advantages and disadvantages. Competition in broadband is a critical dimension and is why government funding and subsidy programs carry a much greater risk of failure, or mere ineffectiveness, wasting public capital and resources.

VP Biden on Broadband "Information Overline"

July 1, 2009, 7:55pm

Steven Titch

In his address to 200 people at Seneca High School near Erie, The Wall Street Journal reported Biden saying, “The bottom line is, you can't function -- a nation can't compete in the 21st century -- without an immediate, high-quality access for everything from streaming video to information overline.”

Commenters are invited to speculate exactly what “information overline” is.

Billions In Stimulus Going to Broadband Projects

March 20, 2009, 11:17am

Steven Titch

Making Sure the Broadband Stimulus Money Isn't Wasted

How to find the areas not being served, and unlikely to get high-speed Internet services

March 20, 2009

Steven Titch

The government shouldn’t be in the broadband business anyway. But, as part of the $787 billion stimulus bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congress set aside $7.2 billion for development of rural broadband.

It All Depends on What the Meaning of the Word "Unserved" Is

March 11, 2009, 2:03pm

Steven Titch

It Is Broadband Stimulus Day in D.C.

March 10, 2009, 7:36am

Steven Titch

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