Commercial use of information on the Internet benefits consumers, according to a new study by TPI scholars Thomas Lenard and Paul Rubin. The new study examines the role of information in improving the ability of markets to deliver the goods and services individuals want.
All Publications
Broadband Competition in the 21st Century: A Transatlantic Perspective
The debate over broadband policy transcends national boundaries and has become even more important in the current economic environment as the financial crisis leads the U.S. to include broadband in its economic stimulus efforts and the EU to consider something similar. Since the mid-1990s information and communications technologies have contributed substantially to economic growth, productivity improvements, and, thus, higher living standards on both sides of the Atlantic.
May 8th Event: ICANN at a Crossroads: Privatization, Reform, Both, or Neither?
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) controls extremely important aspects of the Internet. Since 1998, it has operated under various agreements with the U.S. Department of Commerce. The current agreement expires later this year. Before then, a public policy decision must be made about ICANN’s future. ICANN would like to be fully “privatized,” but that decision raises significant questions about ICANN’s structure, mission, and performance. Does ICANN’s governance structure provide sufficient accountability? If not, what type of structure would, and to whom should ICANN be accountable? How should reforms address ICANN’s status as a de facto regulator? How should reforms address the intellectual property issues associated with domain names? This conference will discuss these issues and a recent TPI study on the subject coauthored by TPI president Thomas Lenard and NYU Stern School of Business economics professor Lawrence J. White.
71 Economists Advise Using Procurement Auctions to Allocate Broadband Stimulus Funds
71 economists explain why the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and The Rural Utilities Service should use competitive procurement auctions to allocate the broadband stimulus grants. The economists, in comments submitted to the NTIA and RUS, explain “why procurement auctions are more efficient and more consistent with the stimulus goals of allocating funds quickly than a traditional grant review process.”
The signatories are economists who have studied telecommunications, auctions, and competition policy and include two Nobel Laureates and three winners of the John Bates Clark medal for the best economist under 40. The comments were coordinated by Paul Milgrom, Gregory Rosston, and Andrzej Skrzypacz of Stanford University, and Scott Wallsten of the Technology Policy Institute. Thomas Lenard of TPI is one of the signers of the comments.
Unbundling Inconsistent with Investment in Next-Generation Broadband, New Data Show
DSL unbundling is negatively correlated with new fiber investment, according to new research by TPI Vice President for Research and Senior Fellow Scott Wallsten. Similarly, platform competition (cable and facilities-based DSL providers) is positively correlated with fiber deployment. Wallsten’s paper uses a new dataset to examine empirically the effects of unbundling on investment in new fiber networks in Europe.
Net Neutrality, Unbundling, and their Effects on International Investment in Next-Generation Networks
Network neutrality has been a contentious issue in the United States for several years, but is increasingly debated elsewhere, with the EU, several European countries, and the Japanese government all examining the issue.
Upcoming Events
Renewable Energy Mandates: Costs, Benefits, and Alternatives; and ICANN at a Crossroads: Privatization, Reform, Both, or Neither?
Technology Policy Institute Names Carly Fiorina Chair of Board
Washington, D.C. – The Technology Policy Institute (TPI) today announced Carly Fiorina’s appointment as Chair of the organization’s Board of Directors. Ms. Fiorina succeeds Ray Gifford, who was TPI’s founding board chairman and will remain on the board.
Measuring the Effectiveness of the Broadband Stimulus Plan
The newly enacted economic stimulus package includes $7.2 billion in grants, loans, and loan guarantees to bring broadband to rural areas lacking high-speed Internet services. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 charges government agencies not only with choosing grant recipients and setting performance benchmarks, but also with measuring results. Only a carefully preplanned evaluation strategy will enable them to accurately assess the effectiveness of the broadband stimulus.