Obama's Net Neutrality scheme could kill broadband

Beyond that, he warns, there’s a real risk that exposing ISPs to Title II regulation “could lay the foundation for imposing Title II regulation on some parties within the tech industry as well.” Targeting the telecoms that everybody loves to hate (often for damned good reason) threatens to be the foot in the door allowing the FCC to sink its talons into all sorts of tech businesses. He points to the expanding application of pollution in Section 111(d) the Clean Air Act as an example of regulation creeping far beyond its intended purpose as regulators find openings to use their weapons in new and interesting ways.

So…the threat of regulation and aggressive regulatory oversight tends to chill investment. Title II regulation would likely still permit the stuff the president says he wants it to stop. And once unleashed, Title II is likely to follow in the footsteps of other regulatory regimes and engulf unexpected companies and whole industries. And that will probably discourage investment by people who have little or no connection with Randall Stephenson.

Note that businesses’ reaction to the threat of regulatory whack-a-mole has nothing to do with their moral fiber or lack thereof. Randall Stephenson may be sulking because, this time, the bureaucrats’ could turn their guns on him instead of on AT&T’s less-connected competitors. But his qualities and those of his company have nothing to do with the jobs, businesses, and infrastructure not created because investors are frightened by an unfriendly regulatory environment.