The battle lines are being drawn as Verizon is starting to take on local counties who are regulating the industry to the benefit of existing companies.
They have sued a Maryland county last week for setting conditions they are calling "unreasonable and illegal" in their quest to obtain a television subscription license. The county is currently served by Comcast.
There is a bill going through Congress that would put Verizon and others on an equal footing with the cable companies that will offer a nationwide TV license rather than the current way of having to get approval from market to market, which basically makes it almost impossible to compete.
Some counties have been slow to accept Verizon because they don't think that it's offering anything that enhances customer experience. In reality though it's not up to governments to make that decision. The free market system, in other words the consumer, should be the one to decide.
The cable companies are trying to spin that the service Verizon is offering is no different than theirs. But like I said, it's not relevant. Competition is always the best thing for the consumer. There are many markets where Comcast and other operate that have no competition and so raise prices and offer very mediocre service because there are no consequences for their action and no incentive to do better.
This bill would be a great service to consumers to be offered choices and the resultant checks and balances of the marketplace to ensure the very best product is being offered at the best prices.
Comment Preview