A “Foolhardy” Effort

By Brad

In a smart letter to the editor to Politico, economists Ev Erlich, former undersecretary of commerce for the Clinton administration, and Jeff Eisenach, Managing Director of Navigant Economics, argue against the FCC imposing net neutrality:

In comments we filed with the FCC this summer, we noted that the Federal Trade Commission has been an active watchdog for years. It, rather than the FCC, should be taking the lead in this fight. But even if one believes the FCC should continue, their authority should come directly from Congress—rather than from unelected regulatory commissioners.

Applying invasive regulatory oversight to a dynamic market like the Internet is foolhardy. Consumers are getting what they want on the Internet, the wired and wireless broadband worlds are converging. Entrepreneurial efforts to provide advanced services through prioritization should be applauded, not banned.