OTI Hails Biden Competition Order

Today, President Biden issued an executive order on promoting competition in the U.S. economy. The order notes that a lack of competition in many markets harms consumers and increases prices. OTI’s Cost of Connectivity research has long documented this dynamic in the broadband market, which is marked by unaffordable rates, opaque pricing, and limited consumer choice.

The following statement can be attributed to Joshua Stager, deputy director for broadband and competition policy at New America’s Open Technology Institute:

“President Biden’s executive order is a big step forward for competition and consumer protection. The order is especially needed in the broadband market, which is dominated by an oligopoly of four companies—AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, and Charter—that have harmed consumers for years.

“The order includes many actions that OTI has long called for, including the restoration of net neutrality, making internet pricing more transparent with a broadband nutrition label, and ending ISP collusion with apartment landlords. We also urged the FTC and DOJ to strengthen their vertical merger guidelines after last year’s effort missed the mark.

“We’re happy to see progress on all these fronts and look forward to working with the Biden administration and relevant agencies to make today’s order a positive force for change. Many of these actions would benefit from a fifth commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission and an Assistant Attorney General for DOJ's Antitrust Division, so we urge President Biden to nominate people to these positions quickly.”