Should the Internet be Free?

• “No”

  

  “Markets -- Not Subsidies -- Give Us the Best Broadband Technologies”

• “Objection”

  

  “Markets Are Not Always Better & the Government Created the Internet.”
  

Markets Are Not Always Better & the Government Created the Internet.

New America Foundation

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Claiming that "Markets -- Not Subsidies -- Give Us the Best Broadband Technologies" demonstrates a remarkable lack of knowledge about the history of the Internet.  The Internet itself was created by the government.  Since its creation until the NSFnet was privatized (starting in 1995), it was controlled by and heavily subsidized by the US government.  After it was privatized, subsidies have continued to flow to support the Internet -- in the form of tax breaks (e.g., you don't pay taxes on Internet purchases), buildout subsidies like e-rate, and a host of secondary and tertiary effect subsidies (e.g., rights of way). 

To claim that markets alone are better is a massive revisionist history that ignores that incredible amount of public subsidies that has gone into (and continues to support) Internet access and broadband services.  The rest of this argument crumbles once this false pretense is exposed.

Next Argument

"No" CEI

• Broadband is Growing More Accessible, Faster and Cheaper
  0
• Some People Just Don't Want Broadband
  0
• Markets -- Not Subsidies -- Give Us the Best Broadband Technologies
  1
• If the Government Pays for the Internet, It Will Control the Internet
  1

"Yes" New America Foundation

• More People Online Benefits Everyone (Including Those Already Online).
  0
• Communications is a Fundamental Human Right.
  0
• Civil Society Provides For its Constituents and Fights Discrimination.
  0
• Universal Internet Access is Efficient and a Competitive Necessity.
  1

"Yes" John Muleta

• President Bush Set a Goal of Affordable Nationwide Broadband by 2007
  0
• Big Telecom Companies are Preventing Fair Broadband Competition
  1
• Access to Free Broadband is Key to America’s Global Competitiveness
  1

Most Objections

• Broadband is Growing More Accessible, Faster and Cheaper
  0
• Some People Just Don't Want Broadband
  0
• Markets -- Not Subsidies -- Give Us the Best Broadband Technologies
  1
• If the Government Pays for the Internet, It Will Control the Internet
  1

Should the Internet be Free?

• Yes
• No

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