The Truth About Net Neutrality Job Loss 187
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."
No it doesn;t, it creates 100 million jobs (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Can I have a job - a six figure one? (Score:2, Funny)
In other news, second born children in families with large inheritances found to be largely in favor of net neutrality legislation.
Re:How can maintaining the status quo cause job lo (Score:3, Funny)
So how exactly would passing a law that basically codifies current practices cause job loss?
1. The legislation passes
2. People get angry at their ISP and set their HQ on fire
3. The ISPs build bigger meaner bunk^H^H^H^H HQs which requires manpower
=> more jobs
1. The legislation passes
2. The ISP demands their protection money
3. The CEOs and other members of the boards become richer
4. They buy bigger houses
5. They requires more maids and gardeners
=> more jobs
1. The legislation passes
2. The ISP demands their protection money
3. The customers become poorer and can't pay their bills
4. The customers are evicted
5. The customers now homeless lose their jobs
=> more jobs (for the others)
6. The customers get depressed and kill themselves
7. They are buried or cremated
8. Graveyards and crematoriums flourish
=> more jobs
Re:How can maintaining the status quo cause job lo (Score:3, Funny)
That's a nice thought, but a real number would be more effective.
How about "1.21 jigadollars"?
Must ... resist ... ... gah! (Score:4, Funny)
Money, money, mo money...
Banana, fanna, fo funny...