Monthly Archives: September 2011

Net Neutrality: High Cost, No Benefit

For Forbes this morning, I reflect on the publication late last week of the FCC’s “Open Internet” or net neutrality rules and their impact on spectrum auctions past and future. Hint: not good.

An important study last year by Prof. Faulhaber and Prof. Farber, former chief economist and chief technologist, respectively, for the FCC, found that the last-minute imposition of net neutrality limits on the 700 MHz “C” block in the FCC’s 2008 auction reduced the winning bid by 60%–a few billion dollars for the Treasury.

Yet the FCC maintained in the December Report and Order approving similar rules for all broadband providers that the cost impact of these “prophylactic” rules would be minimal, because, after all, they simply endorse practices most providers already follow. (And the need for the new rules, then, came from where?)

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Updates to the media page

We’ve added another dozen entries to the Media Page. Throughout the summer, Larry was busy with articles and press interviews on everything from pending copyright legislation, the FCC’s annual wireless competition report, and the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile. The focus, as always, was on the impact of these regulatory proceedings on Silicon Valley and the I.T. community generally. In addition to new articles for CNET and Forbes, Larry appeared in USA Today, the National Journal, and The Hill. Check them out!

Forbes/DoJ lawsuit

“Justice Condemns AT&T/T-Mobile: Three Reasons Silicon Valley Should Worry,” Forbes.com, Sept. 1, 2011. In the wake of a federal lawsuit aimed at blocking the AT&T/T-Mobile merger, Larry warned Silicon Valley about a dangerous turn in the Obama Administration’s attitude–and understanding–of technology industries. Among other mentions, the article was quoted by the National Antitrust Hall of Fame, Media Freedom, Seeking Alpha and Red State.