The latest FCC report on broadband penetration is out and the growth in wireless broadband is amazing:
One interesting detail of the new statistics is the rise of new platforms for delivering broadband. Cable and DSL still dominate the market, with 28.5 and 22.6 million lines, respectively. Mobile wireless, however, went from only about 379,000 subscribers in June 2005 to more than 11 million in June 2006.
Empirical research finds, without question to my knowledge, that cross-platform and other facilities-based competition is a key driver pushing investment and innovation. The arrival of wireless broadband is a very good sign regarding market competitiveness.
The next person who says “broadband duopoly” gets slugged. It’s at least a triopoly and maybe a quadropoly. This is clearly bad news for Google’s “grassroots” campaign to save the Internet.