Yoo: US Broadband Model Tops Europe's Utility-Style Regulations

US broadband networks have generally topped their European counterparts thanks to the model of promoting facilities-based competition among private companies.

That is according to a just-released report from University of Pennsylvania Law School Professor Christopher Yoo, who says his comparative case studies show that utility-style (as in Title II-style) regulation of the Internet in Europe have been a hindrance to broadband speeds, access and innovation.

"Some claim the European model of service-based competition, induced by stiff telephone-style regulation, outperforms the facilities-based competition practiced in the US in promoting broadband," says Yoo in the executive summary. "Data analyzed for this report reveals, however, that the US led in many broadband metrics in 2011 and 2012."

The report did find that while US broadband was more expensive than Europe for tiers above 12 Mbps and US download speeds during peak times (weekday evenings) averaged 15 Mbps, below Europe's average 19 Mbps, the US was better at approaching advertised speed (96% of advertised vs. Europe's 74%) and also better in terms of latency and packet loss. Yoo attributed the disparity between networks to the differing regulator models.