Can competition fix net non-neutrality?

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[Commentary] The problem: we believe that competition is designed to provide consumers with more of what they want. So if your claim is that they want fast and slow lanes to management network traffic, then moving from monopoly to competition won’t stop that from happening. It will likely enhance it even if, at the same time, it delivers lower prices to consumers. Indeed, in my own work, I found that it could be a vehicle for that even if net non-neutrality is not just about network management but something more sinister -- like content provider hold-up. The broader argument is that solving the main problem with net non-neutrality -- content provider hold-up -- can be done with net neutrality while using less intrusive pricing schemes and product design to solve network management issues. In other words, I think we can have our cake and eat it too and net neutrality regulation is a good place to start.


Can competition fix net non-neutrality?