The Telecom Industry Is Very Mad Because The FCC MIGHT Examine High Broadband Prices
from the to-the-fainting-couch dept
We’ve long noted how the FCC (regardless of party) largely ignores how muted competition and monopolization drives up prices for consumers. The agency often talks a good (if ambiguous) game about “bridging the digital divide,” but they don’t collect and share pricing data proving market failure, nor are they capable of admitting monopolies exist and are harmful in public-facing messaging.
As part of the Communications Act, the FCC is tasked with giving periodic reports on whether broadband is being delivered to all Americans on a “reasonable and timely basis.” If the answer is no, the regulator is theoretically supposed to, you know, actually do something about it.
Back in November, the agency issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) pondering whether they should more seriously analyze the cost of broadband when making those determinations (yes, duh). As per tradition, the FCC NOI is pretty vague about things, but does acknowledge the importance of affordability:
“To truly close the connectivity gap and ensure that all Americans have access to advanced telecommunications capability, broadband services must be affordable.”
Keep in mind this is just the FCC saying they’re thinking about taking a more consistent look at high broadband prices as part of their policy approach. It doesn’t mean they’ll actually do it, do it well, or punish any of the companies found to be monopolizing access and squashing competition to jack up market prices.
But even the faint possibility of the FCC looking at expensive U.S. broadband has been enough to send telecom lobbyists into a tizzy, with cable lobbying organizations arguing in filings that even asking the question is “inappropriate”:
“While the Commission has reiterated that it has no interest in any kind of rate regulation, the proposal to make a traditional deployment analysis contingent on whether the Commission determines that broadband pricing is sufficiently affordable suggests that rate regulation in some form is potentially on the table.”
The majority of Americans live under a monopoly or duopoly for broadband access protected by state and federal corruption. This muted competition consistently results in spotty coverage, high prices, slow speeds, and comically terrible customer service. And again, FCC officials can’t even openly admit there’s a monopoly/duopoly problem, much less field concrete solutions to the problem.
Keep in mind, between the Trump era and the first two years of Biden term (where the FCC lacked a voting majority due to the attacks on Gigi Sohn), the FCC was basically a cardboard cutout for six straight years. The telecom industry has grown fat and comfortable with the FCC performing regulatory theater where its functions are entirely decorative. A sort of regulatory simulacrum.
The fact that it’s 2023 and the FCC and NTIA have only fairly recently realized they should be considering affordability in broadband access policy genuinely speaks for itself.
And in the U.S., where Comcast, Verizon and AT&T dictate the lion’s share of all telecom policy, the idea of rate regulation is treated as the most extreme possibility imaginable. Having a regulator ponder things like affordable wholesale access or any sort of rate caps is genuinely treated the same way you’d treat a batshit, naked streaker in a public mall.
But the FCC is making it very clear they lack the political backbone to get anywhere near price regulation. The net neutrality restoration similarly makes it very clear that price regulation is off the table. But the simple act of even looking more closely at pricing data — so that the public has a clearer understanding of the impact of muted competition — is apparently a bridge too far for unchecked monopolists.
Filed Under: broadband, broadband access, broadband prices, fcc, prices
Comments on “The Telecom Industry Is Very Mad Because The FCC MIGHT Examine High Broadband Prices”
Xfinity to raise monthly fees by $3.00
It would be nice if we could get an audit trail from Xfinity showing where money is spent including how much they pay edge providers.
The upcoming 3 dollar price increase is going to be used for what exactly?
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Hookers, blow, and the private yachts to enable the enjoyment of those in privacy. 🙂
Re: Re:
Don’t forget the condo in the Bahamas, that’s always on the “Top 5 list” of things to purchase with ill-gotten gains.
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From what I’ve understood from Techdirt recent article about DEA keeping a lot or phone records without warrant is that telecom may not earn that much of federal money, and keeping hundreds of hard drives around may cost a little bit. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg but everybody is welcome to financially contribute with a small extra fee.
Anything that makes the telecom industry uncomfortable or go to the fainting couch like this is a great thing in my book. Increase the pressure, I say. Hell, they should be happy I’m not in the FCC, I’d be pushing for either these fuckers to be nationalized or for their every action to be put under a microscope.
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Not entirely, I’d hope. I certainly wouldn’t want my nation to get into the obsolescent business of providing cable TV service. But the point is moot: if government were competent enough to implement a good solution, they’d realize buying outdated infrastructure would be a bad idea. If anything, nationalize the conduits, poles, and maybe fibers and their termination points. Or just build new infrastructure, like they did with electricity a hundred years ago.
Well
They added to the Prices as soon as they advertised Low income Federal payment system. $30-50 increase depending on the service.
$85 for 400mbps, and $100+ for gigabit.
This is Multi channel speeds. And Some sites dont do that.
Its so much fun. A Cable line that once installed, Properly, needs very little to keep it going.
Each device for Service, and NOT major Downloading, needs about 5-10mbps, Max connection. The Fun part is how many devices to Plug into a Router. AND THOSE have gone threw the roof also. For hardware thats 10+ years old, I cant see why we cant build a Simple solution. A celeron, with Lots of Network cards and 2-3 Wifi antenna’s should be able to cover most things, and still be expandable.
Would love
The USA gov. marching threw all the corps and doing a Full evaluation of the value of the corps, in reference to the Stocks they are selling and have sold.
Our corps are over valuing Themselves.