The Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee intends to take a look at the state of broadband competition in the U.S. According to BroadbandCensus.com, the subcommittee of the Judiciary committee intends “… to closely examine competition in the broadband industry in the year ahead.” From our vantage point, competition in the broadband industry is what it is. Where markets justify multiple broadband players, they compete vigorously. Where markets have difficulty supporting multiple players, competition is lacking. That being said, structural barriers to entry certainly exist in many markets, limiting competition there. But overall, we would characterize competition as healthy in the broadband sector, with some room for improvement. The advent of 4G wireless services should provide a legitimate third broadband option into the home in many markets, intensifying the competitive landscape.
What do you think? Is broadband competition healthy? Offer your opinion by using the comment tool below.
Once you leave large cities, broadband competition is a myth. For years our ILEC (Verizon) did not even offer DSL in our area code. Even now, I know one (yes, just one) Verizon DSL subscriber in my area – everyone else subscribes to Time Warer RoadRunner. Verizon’s EVDO network does not function outside large cities – it is possible to drive several hours consecutively on US interstate highways without an EVDO signal. I expect no improvement with 4G, LTE, WiMax, etc.