宽带融合正在创造更多的竞争（英）

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION FOUNDATION|JULY 2025CONTENTSKey Takeaways................................................................................................................... 1Introduction....................................................................................................................... 3Convergence: Advances In Substituable Broadband Technologies............................................ 3What Makes Broadband Technologies Substitutes .............................................................. 3Comparing the Performance of Different Technologies ........................................................ 4More Substitutes Have Led To More Competition................................................................... 6More People Have More Options ....................................................................................... 6Evidence of Consumers’ Switching Between Options........................................................... 7Lack of Monopoly Profits ................................................................................................. 9Evidence of Competitive Pressure: Promotional Rates and Programs .................................... 9Policies Are Out of Step With Today’s Competitive Marketplace ............................................ 10Rate Regulation Is Inapt and Ineffective.......................................................................... 10Ongoing Rural Broadband Subsidies Are Obsolete ............................................................ 11Productive and Flexible Spectrum Allocation Is Essential .................................................. 11Title II for Broadband Should Be Rejected Permanently.................................................... 12The Case for Government-Owned Networks Diminishes and Private Competition Increases ... 12Regulatory Silos Are Outdated ........................................................................................ 12Mergers Could Benefit Broadband Consumers ..................................................................... 13Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 14Endnotes......................................................................................................................... 15 PAGE 2 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION FOUNDATION|JULY 2025INTRODUCTIONThe U.S. broadband market is experiencing even stronger competition than in years past, drivenin large part by technological convergence and new players entering the home broadband market.Where once home broadband service was only available from incumbent cable or telephonecompanies, new technologies have entered the fray, and incumbents themselves have had toreconceptualize their networks around broadband rather than specialized video or voice service.Today, there are four broad categories of home broadband technology that deliver substitutableperformance for most consumer applications: fiber optic networks (referred to here as fiber),coaxial cable (cable), fixed wireless access (FWA), and low-earth-orbit (LEO) satelliteconstellations. This convergence increases the competitive dynamics that were already presentbut limited by the footprint of incumbent telephone and cable companies. These new avenues ofcompetition benefit consumers.There are numerous indicators of strong competition in today’s broadband market, includingnormal industry profit margins, active promotional activities, diverse consumer choice patterns,and competitive pricing dynamics, that together demonstrate that there is genuine competitivepressure across the entire market, regardless of the technology used to provide service. Moreover,the rise of new broadband technologies is in itself evidence of healthy competition.In this competitive environment, many regulatory frameworks are outdated, and some policyproposals are out of step with the new market realities. Rate regulation initiatives, obsoleteuniversal service mechanisms, calls for Title II utility-style oversight, and government-ownednetwork deployments reflect policy approaches more appropriate for legacy monopoly industries,not today's multiplatform environment. Spectrum policies that lack flexibility or tie up valuablebandwidth in inefficient federal holdings are increasingly harmful to consumers. It is time forpolicy frameworks to adapt to recognize and bolster competitive outcomes rather than perpetuateinterventions designed for past segmented markets which have now converged.CONVERGENCE: ADVANCES IN SUBSTITUABLE BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIESFor years, high-speed home broadband Internet access has been the principal province ofwireline providers. That world is gone.While high-bandwidth applications have proliferated, so too have the technologies for deliveringthem. Today, new wireline broadband networks are largely made up of fiber optic cables;traditional cable has enhanced its own capabili