Antitrust laws were crafted in an era when economic transactions were typically quite straightforward exchanges between a seller of a good or service and buyers. The 21st century, however, has witnessed the growing prominence of so-called “platforms” in which firms create value to multiple parties that interface with their platforms. Amazon provides value to both retail customers and providers of multiple goods through a platform. LinkedIn provides employment-related services to both individuals seeking to amplify their professional visibility and organizations who are seeking better information on prospective employees and business associates. Visa, MasterCard and American Express provide value to both cardholders and to merchants. The growth of these platforms has stimulated new debates within the antitrust community about the effect of such platforms on the evolution of competition in our society. This Georgetown on the Hill event assembled a panel of prominent experts to provide a discussion of the basic economics of platforms and to discuss the implications of platforms for the evolution of antitrust. The discussion was moderated by: John W. Mayo, Elsa Carlson McDonough Professor of Business Administration, Georgetown University; and Executive Director, Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy Mark Whitener, Senior Industry and Innovation Fellow, Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy; and former Global Executive Counsel, Competition Law & Policy, General Electric Company Panelists included: Tasneem Chipty, Managing Principal, Matrix Economics Glenn Woroch, Adjunct Professor of Economics Emeritus, UC-Berkeley Joshua D. Wright, University Professor and Executive Director of the Global Antitrust Institute, George Mason University For more details about the event, please visit our website: https://cbpp.georgetown.edu/events/new-debates-and-tensions-in-antitrust-whats-different-about-platforms/

This week, Georgetown University’s John Mayo and University of California, Berkeley's Glenn Woroch joined Carolyn Brandon and Jennifer Fritzsche for the April installment of Little Nuggets of Tech and Telecom. Here are some of the key takeaways from their discussion of the FCC’s rulemaking on digital discrimination and the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP): ● Glenn Woroch’s research (filed in the FCC’s Digital Discrimination docket and using US Census Data and the FCC’s Form 477 data) revealed there is very little difference between white Americans’ access to fixed broadband at speeds of 100/20 and non-white Americans’ access to fixed broadband at 100/20. ● Contrary to popular rhetoric, Woroch’s research revealed that non-whites experience a higher availability of 100/20 broadband compared to white Americans. ● John Mayo recommended that policymakers adhere to three principles as they develop policies to address digital discrimination. He recommends policymakers (1) avoid reducing private sector investment because it is needed alongside the public investment; (2) base policies on facts, rigorous analysis and most up-to-date data, and; (3) focus on policies that will catalyze buildout and resolve gaps in access. ● On the topic of the ACP, Glenn Woroch noted that the program has signed up 17 million people in 15 months, compared to the FCC’s Lifeline program which has existed since 1985 and has enrolled 6.5 million participants. ● Glenn also noted that the take-rate for ACP is about 33 percent whereas Lifeline is below 20 percent.

Our Senior Government Affairs Manager Luca Bertoletti interviewed Professor John W. Mayo, PhD. Economics Washington University on the topic of Digital Content Quotas. Learn more: http://consumerchoicecenter.org/es/abajo-las-barreras #AbajoLasBarreras

Although a range of studies and methodologies show that the Internet now powers significant sectors of the U.S. economy, few understand the economic forces at work among and between different parts of the internet ecosystem. As Washington braces for waves of advocacy for and against specific legislation to put net neutrality on firm legal ground and establish a consistent set of privacy protections for all consumers, it is critical that policymakers understand the basic economics of the Internet, including two-sided markets and ad-supported business models. The Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy hosted a robust exploration of the economics of the internet and implications for public policy in the 21st century on Tuesday, May 8, 2018. The event began with an economics primer and an ad tech primer, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Kathleen Abernathy, Special Counsel, Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP; Former FCC Commissioner (2001-2005); and Senior Industry and Innovation Fellow, Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy. Discussants included: Robert Hahn, Visiting Professor, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford; and Senior Policy Scholar, Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy Jonathan S. Kanter, Partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP John Mayo, Professor of Economics, Business, and Public Policy at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business; and Executive Director, Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy Scott Wallsten, President and Senior Fellow, Technology Policy Institute; and Senior Policy Scholar, Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy More information about the event (including presentation slides) is available on our website: http://cbpp.georgetown.edu/events/understanding-basic-economics-internet-building-foundation-21st-century-public-policy