Broadband Industry Says Biden’s Competition Order Gets the Facts Wrong

 The telecom industry is reacting strongly to the Executive Order on competition signed by President Joe Biden on Friday. In it, Biden challenges the industry for what the White House calls “unclear pricing, high fees and landlords’ restricting tenants’ choice of ISPs.”

The White House says the point of the changes is to promote competition in the economy, to lower prices for families, increase workers’ wages and promote innovation. The “lack of competition drives up prices for consumers. As fewer large players have controlled more of the market, mark-ups (charges over cost) have tripled,” notes the administration. The result is consumers are paying more for things like prescription drugs, hearing aids and broadband.  

The Executive Order includes 72 initiatives by more than a dozen federal agencies to promptly tackle some of the most pressing competition problems across the economy. The orders will: “Save Americans money on their internet bills by banning excessive early termination fees, requiring clear disclosure of plan costs to facilitate comparison shopping, and ending landlord exclusivity arrangements that stick tenants with only a single internet option.” Continue Reading