Statement of FCC Commissioner Pai On Evidence that Regulating the Internet Will Reduce Broadband Deployment and Competition

In recent days, we have seen even more evidence that President Barack Obama’s 332-page plan to regulate the Internet will deter broadband deployment, depress infrastructure investment, and diminish broadband speeds in the United States. This evidence also shows that President Obama's plan will lead to less competition and leave Americans with fewer broadband choices.

An independent research study released this morning by the Internet Innovation Alliance shows that the bipartisan, light-touch American regulatory model embraced since the Clinton Administration has been far more successful than the Title II-style approach imposed in Europe. This study confirms earlier research showing that the Title II-style regulation of Europe yields less investment and slower broadband. As a consequence, The New York Times has reported that “the lack of ultrafast Internet access in much of Europe has placed local companies at a disadvantage in the digital world compared with their rivals in North America and Asia.” This raises a critical question. Why would we want to enact President Obama’s plan to import European-style regulation into the United States? The Federal Communications Commission should not scrap a system that’s proven to be better for American consumers and entrepreneurs.