US-DeptOfCommerce-Seal (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I find it sad that so many people in this country are not aware of the 10th Amendment that prohibits the federal government from overriding state laws unless expressly stated in the Constitution. The report does outline the abysmal state of competition in the broadband market even though it blurs the line between wireless and wireline.
Lest there was any doubt, competition among broadband providers remains lacking — at least at speeds of more than 10 Mbps.
That’s according to the Commerce Department, which this week released a new report regarding the state of broadband availability.
Researchers found that people who want service of at least 10 Mbps — which Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler says should be the new definition of broadband — typically have a choice of just two wireline providers. In other words, broadband at that speed typically is a duopoly service.
People also typically have a choice of at least three wireless broadband providers at 10 Mbps, according to the report. It’s not clear that wireline and wireless service are comparable, however, given that many wireless providers impose fairly stingy data caps (often as low as 3 gigabyes, before overages kick in).
When it comes to service faster than 10 Mbps, the competitive picture is even bleaker. Fewer than four in 10 (37%) of U.S. residents have a choice of two or more broadband providers offering 25 Mbps connections, the report states.
