We Need More Users (And How The Stimulus Can Help)

The National Cable and Telecommunications Association thinks broadband stimulus funding should focus on creating new users over new competition. You create new users by making broadband available to people who can't currently get it, and by getting more people subscribed to broadband. Both of these goals are core to what the broadband stimulus wants to support. Of course, if these increases in take-rates end up leading to nothing more than greater profits for incumbents without spurring them to increase their investment in capacity, then we've got a problem. But at the same time I'd hate for us to worry so much about enriching incumbents that we don't push all in on trying to enrich the country by getting more people online.