The U.S. Department of Commerce should rigorously analyze the costs and benefits of its proposed privacy framework and alternative policy proposals before moving forward with any recommendations, states Thomas Lenard in comments submitted today in response to the agency’s Green Paper on online privacy. Without such an analysis, the agency cannot accurately predict if its proposal will improve or reduce consumer welfare.
Press Releases
Antitrust Case Against Intel Does Not Show Harm to Consumers
Evaluation of the competitive effects of Intel’s loyalty discounts, which garnered scrutiny from antitrust authorities, does not support claims that the company’s actions have harmed consumers. Analysis of market share, prices, and relevant financial markets fail to show higher prices or abnormal financial returns, concludes Joshua Wright in, “Does Antitrust Enforcement in High Tech Markets Benefit Consumers? Stock Price Evidence from FTC v. Intel,” released today by the Technology Policy Institute. The paper is a revised version of a paper presented at the recent TPI conference, “Antitrust and the Dynamics of Competition in High-Tech Industries.”
Event – Retrans Redux: The Economics of Retransmission Consent
The recent Cablevision-Fox dispute illustrates the delicate nature of negotiations between video programmers and distributors. In reaction to the dispute, the Federal Communications Commission announced it intends to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on retransmission in early 2011. Because negotiations between programmers and distributors take place in the shadow of FCC regulations, regulatory changes may have large effects on those negotiations. How will reformed retransmission regulations affect programming deliberations and deals? These questions will be explored at “Retrans Redux: The Economics of Retransmission Consent,” hosted by the Technology Policy Institute.
Innovation Effective in Addressing Competition Concerns
Technological innovation has a much greater effect on competition in high-tech sectors than antitrust remedies, according to research by Robert Crandall and Charles Jackson in ‘Antitrust in High-Tech Industries’ released today by the Technology Policy Institute. Antitrust remedies have not been successful at accelerating competition in such markets; rather competition has developed from technology that regulators could not predict. The paper is a revised version of a paper presented at the recent TPI conference, “Antitrust and the Dynamics of Competition in High-Tech Industries.”
Event – Retrans Redux: The Economics of Retransmission Consent
The recent Cablevision-Fox dispute illustrates the delicate nature of negotiations between video programmers and distributors. In reaction to the dispute, the Federal Communications Commission announced it intends to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on retransmission in early 2011. Because negotiations between programmers and distributors take place in the shadow of FCC regulations, regulatory changes may have large effects on those negotiations. How will reformed retransmission regulations affect programming deliberations and deals? These questions will be explored at “Retrans Redux: The Economics of Retransmission Consent,” hosted by the Technology Policy Institute.
U.S. Broadband Prices Have Remained Stable
Residential broadband prices in the U.S. remained fairly stable over the past few years, while the price of business plans in the U.S. has decreased, show Scott Wallsten and James Riso in “Residential and Business Broadband Prices, Part 2: International Comparisons,” released today by the Technology Policy Institute. The authors’ analysis also shows that the price for standalone broadband in the U.S. is in the middle range of prices in OECD countries. The paper is the second part of a comprehensive study on broadband pricing.
Data Cap Broadband Plans Cheaper for Most Consumers
Broadband plans with data caps are 15 – 25 percent cheaper than unlimited plans for most consumers, show Scott Wallsten and James Riso in “Residential and Business Broadband Prices, Part 1: An Empirical Analysis of Metering and Other Price Determinants,” released today by the Technology Policy Institute. The authors’ analysis also shows that broadband plans with contracts are cheaper than those without but find the cost of business plans increase with the length of the contract. The paper is part of a comprehensive broadband pricing study performed by Wallsten and Riso exploring residential and business broadband prices in the U.S. and internationally.
Pre-emptive Regulation of Vertical Integration Could Harm Consumers
Pre-emptive regulation of vertical integration could harm, rather than help, consumer welfare because integration is not predictive of future market problems, states Bruce Owen in “Antitrust and Vertical Integration in ‘New Economy’ Industries” released today by the Technology Policy Institute. According to the author, “Toadying to uninformed populist fears of vertical integration between network providers and content creators by imposing investment-dampening ex ante regulatory constraints is likely to be far less useful to the public than steps to ensure effective competition among network providers.” Instead, he suggests ex post antitrust enforcement could address specific market abuses. The paper is a preliminary version prepared for the recent TPI event, “Antitrust and the Dynamics of Competition in High-Tech Industries.”
Broadband Editorial Distracts from Meaningful Internet Policy
A recent editorial on U.S. broadband is based on a flawed understanding of broadband data, addresses the wrong issues, and distracts from real policy concerns, states Scott Wallsten in “Scientific American’s Flawed Broadband Analysis,” published today by the Technology Policy Institute. The editorial’s assertions that broadband prices are too high and speeds are too slow ignore the more nuanced state of the broadband market, the author explains, and do not support proposals to mandate network neutrality, unbundle access to local loops, and reclassify broadband in order to regulate access.
October 22 Event: Antitrust and the Dynamics of Competition in High-Tech Industries
Please join the Technology Policy Institute on October 22 for “Antitrust and the Dynamics of Competition in High-Tech Industries,” where experts will discuss and critique four papers examining antitrust issues of concern for the technology and communications sectors. The papers were prepared as part of the TPI project “Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Information and Communications Technology: Antitrust and the Dynamics of Competition in ‘New Economy’ Industries.”