FCC's broadband speed labeling idea is misguided

[Commentary] Your cereal box tells you what its contents contains in the way of calories, vitamins, minerals, fats and protein. A sticker on your new car tells you how many miles per gallon it's expected to get. And, according to statements made by the Federal Communications Commission this week, your broadband service eventually may come with some sort of speed rating akin to what the cereal and auto manufacturers provide. The idea is troublesome in a number of ways. A big one is cost. Although this kind of information could certainly be useful to a consumer who has a choice of broadband providers, I'm not at all convinced taxpayers should pay for a program to provide that information in perpetuity. Sounds more like something a private sector organization such as Consumer Reports ought to be undertaking. There's also an issue of priorities. The FCC already faces a huge workload in implementing the National Broadband Plan, yet it continues to create more work for itself. As if its "third way" and Net neutrality initiatives weren't enough of a distraction, the commission once again seems to be devoting precious resources to creating a solution in search of a problem.