This Paper explores asks a very fundamental question: If meaningful, facilities-based competition and "de-regulation" for telecommunications and information services (and, a fortiori, competition and de-regulation for electricity as well) really is the end-goal of this whole "restructuring"...

This POLICY PAPER examines whether there is a relationship between regulated rates for "unbundled local loops" and deployment of broadband technology by incumbents and entrants. Using an econometric model that analyzes 2002 and 2003 local loop rates and takes into account price variability and...

The purpose of patent policy is to balance the incentive to invent against the ability of the economy to utilize and incorporate new inventions and innovations. Substandard patents that upset this balance impose deadweight losses and other costs on the economy. In this paper, we examine some of...

In this paper, we disprove claims by proponents of increased Internet regulation that Broadband Service Providers (“BSPs”) - such as AT&T, Verizon, Sprint-Nextel, Qwest, Comcast, and Time Warner Cable - make “record profits,” “substantial profits,” and “soaring profits.” By...

The United States has recently reinvigorated its efforts to promote ubiquitous broadband at affordable prices for all Americans by both committing over $7.2 billion in stimulus funds and by requiring the Federal Communications Commission to issue a “National Broadband Plan.” The big policy...

We explore the question of whether wireless industry mergers invariably reduce sector employment and find the answer is "no." We reach this conclusion by looking at four years of data on employment trends surrounding the largest wireless merger to date - the AT&T-Cingular merger in 2004, and two...

In this paper, we examine the effectiveness of government spending on private-sector job growth. Rather than contemplate the average or typical effect of government stimulus on private-sector jobs, we divide the past fifty years of U.S. economic history into low-growth and high-growth periods....

Market definition is an essential ingredient to competitive and regulatory analysis. Yet, there is significant disparity regarding the definition of the relevant geographic market for high-capacity circuits, commonly referred to as Special Access services. Given the present debate over expanding...

One important concern for the upcoming and highly-complex voluntary incentive auctions for broadcast television spectrum is the degree to which the largest mobile wireless providers will be allowed to participate. Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice encouraged the Federal Communications...