The role of local government-owned and operated broadband networks in the United States has been the subject of considerable debate for a while now. More recently, the Biden administration has unveiled “The American Jobs Plan,” which proposes $100 billion in spending on broadband to reach 100 percent coverage. The plan, among other things, “prioritizes support for broadband networks owned, operated by, or affiliated with local governments.” Is this a good idea? And what does it mean for the taxpayers?
Sarah Oh, Senior Fellow at the Technology Policy Institute, talks about the empirical evidence behind municipal broadband and shares her perspectives on these important questions.