In an effort to give unserved communities internet access, some state and local governments have launched municipal broadband networks. But when City Hall controls the market for a key good like broadband, competition suffers, and consumers are worse off. Is it possible to pre-empt state municipal broadband laws at the federal level, and would sweeping preemptions survive judicial scrutiny?

Larry Spiwak, President of the Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal and Economic Policy Studies, and George Ford, the Phoenix Center’s Chief Economist, recently helped author a report titled, “The Law and Economics of Municipal Broadband,” which outlined the legal and economic ramifications of municipal broadband programs. On this episode of “Explain to Shane,” Larry, George, and Shane discuss alternatives to municipal broadband programs that would help keep Americans connected.