The Truth About Net Neutrality Job Loss

snydeq writes "Robert X. Cringely investigates recent claims that passing net neutrality regulations will result in nearly 1.5 million lost jobs by 2020, finding the report at the center of these claims suspect. The report, put forward by The Brattle Group, conjectures that net neutrality adoption would curtail broadband growth by 16 percent, costing 342,065 jobs in that sector alone. The 'total economy-wide impact,' however, of such a policy would result in five times as many job losses by 2020, they say. The study is the latest of several weighing the economic impact of net neutrality, including those by law schools (PDF) and free-market think tanks alike. The Brattle Group report (PDF), however, should be met with skepticism, Cringely argues, in large part because the lobbying firm who paid for the report, Mobile Future, is anchored most notably by AT&T. Moreover, the report is 'based entirely on a single assumption: Regulating US telecoms in the late 1990s and early 2000s hurt them to the tune of about 15 percent per quarter, relative to the cable companies.' Yet, as he points out, regulation was not alone in causing this sector shrinkage. In fact, the Baby Bells' own bureaucratic intransigence was much to blame."

Comments

Are they really making a point?

[Dalzhim]

People learning more than one language in school cause job loss in the translating field. People learning how to cook cause job loss in restaurants. Free trade costs a lot of jobs at the customs. I mean, I can create a shitload amount of jobs by having people work on many stupid things. It doesn't make those things worth working on.

Re:How can maintaining the status quo cause job lo

[NeutronCowboy]

So how exactly would passing a law that basically codifies current practices cause job loss?

Not to mention that it isn't even job loss that they're talking about. They're merely speculating that growth will be 15% less than without regulation - and somehow, that translates into 300000 jobs that will not be created.

Can we please, please stop talking about not getting what you think you should get as being the same as a loss or theft? Because if we're going to go down that route, I'm gonna argue that a lack of net neutrality regulation will cost me 2.74 gazillion dollars, and sue the Federal Government for that amount.

Then again, we're talking about lobbyists here. If the money is right, they'll argue that cigarette smoke freshens your breath and turns babies into geniuses.

Re:How can maintaining the status quo cause job lo

[Daniel Dvorkin]

I'll type this on my computer that goes through the internet, then i'll leave work, drive in my car, to my apartment, eat some nice food, ect ect. Why? because of the market. Not because of some stupid belief that we can regulate success and a better life.

Oh, this is fun! Let's take this piece by piece:

my computer

... based on technologies developed for government contracts ...

that goes through the internet

... that used be called ARPAnet ...

then i'll leave work

... at a company that relies on the courts to enforce its contracts ...

drive in my car

... in a car that probably won't kill you because of DOT safety regulations, on roads built with public funds ...

to my apartment

... that would be an unsafe rat-trap if not for housing regulations, and where you have a reasonable assurance that you'll be able to continue living because the government won't let your landlord throw you out on the street any time he feels like it ...

eat some nice food

... that's been certified by the FDA ...

ect ect.

... well, okay, clearly there are some failings in your education, but that's probably your fault, not the fault of the underpaid and overworked public school teachers who tried to drum some knowledge into your thick skull. The rest of it, you enjoy courtesy of your local, state, and federal government whether you are capable of understanding this or not.