Time for a Post-Partisan Broadband Debate

In recent years, the debate over broadband policy has become a partisan war that makes it extremely difficult to have any sensible and analytically-based discussion of the critical issues in this policy area. In a new report, “Moving to a Post-Partisan Broadband Policy World,” ITIF calls for an end, or at least a serious de-escalation, of the conflict. Please join us for a release of the report and a discussion by panelists on all sides of the issue. While we’re not expecting everyone to be holding hands and singing Kumbaya by the end of the event, we do think there can at least be some common ground.

Among the issues to be discussed,

• Can broadband providers do anything they want on “their pipes” or do they have certain public interest obligations? Is the market a sufficient regulator or does the government have a role in this?
• Where does the US really stand on broadband penetration and does it matter?
• If we are lagging on broadband deployment, who’s to blame?
• Is one or two pipes enough competition?
• When is municipal broadband appropriate?