Citizens Against Government Waste has a new paper out on Government Owned Networks (GONs) that describes how the federal government should stay out of the way of innovation and not solely fund one type of technology (in this case, fiber).
At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the United States faced an unprecedented demand for internet. “The United States performed far better than other countries, with a median fixed broadband download speed that was 150 percent higher than the global median speed.”
Private business and investment has met consumer demand throughout the pandemic and after. Government intervention, especially the kind that picks and chooses technology, is not needed to further innovate in the internet space. It can actually have the opposite effect and stifle innovation.
“Federal, state, and local governments should enact laws and regulations that are vendor and technology neutral, making it easier for the private sector to expand its reach in underserved and unserved communities, and stay out of the way of the incredible progress that has been made in broadband service and reach.”