Bring Competition To Cable TV

Where franchise reform has been adopted, the benefits have been both immediate and substantial. In 2004, the U.S. General Accounting Office examined six market pairs to analyze the impact of competition between a cable company and a broadband service provider.
According to the study, the communities with broadband competition experienced lower rates 23 percent lower for basic cable, on average) and higher service quality.

Franchise reform also promotes broadband deployment. The recent passage of uniform statewide franchising in Indiana prompted AT&T to announce an expansion of
high-speed DSL service to 33 rural communities. An analysis by the Perryman Group projects more than $3.3 billion in new telecom investment
for Texas.

Finally, the one incalculable benefit to franchise reform is perhaps the most valuable. Reducing government interference in the video market — any market — bolsters free enterprise, which is a necessary condition for liberty to thrive.