Municipal Broadband’s Record of Failure

The so-called stimulus bill contains more than $7 billion for increased government spending on the nation's broadband Internet infrastructure. Before the Obama Administration doles out taxpayer money for poorly conceived but politically popular projects, let's take a look at the recent history of one potential use for the money: municipal broadband.

This policy paper by Americans for Prosperity shows that almost without fail these government intrusions into the marketplace result in projects that run over budget, provide service that is below expectations and ultimately result in either abandoned projects or continuing taxpayer subsidies.