re: Let’s get this clear once and for all: the internet is NOT a utility

quote:

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As for discussing how a market can work sans the underlying traits...I would like for you to describe to us which markets currently operate as perfectly competitive markets?

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As already stated, very few, but many come close. You see that in food and restaurant industries and a large majority of consumer goods. Few, if any of those markets meet the exact definition of perfectly competitive, but most come close, which is in part why we see it fit to minimally regulate them. Perfect Competition is a construct to understand what an ideal market looks like. Which is all that it was used for in the initial post. Despite the triggered people wanting to dumb down the post to more easily attack.

That is why the vast majority of the post was talking about how the ISP market fares with regards to the underlying characteristics that govern highly competitive markets. When markets severely lack those characteristics you increase the odds of certain types of market failures. Which we see in this space. A space that is often basically a natural monopoly or oligopoly and has been subject to an enormous amount of regulatory capture. Providing a good that is increasingly vital and requires use of numerous shared resources to operate.

The guiding premise of some detractors like Shorty has been that this market is not functionally unique in any notable way to require regulation like NN. That it has adequate competition and choice so it does not necessitate that sort of action. Which both ignores the actual facts of history that led to NN, but more importantly, doesn't align well with the facts. The facts neither you nor he have addressed in terms of the underlying market characteristics. If this market is not unique and thus deserving of a different economic calculus, you have failed to provide ANY convincing case so far. Because from where I am standing, based on the evidence I see, the ISP space is notably different from the vast majority of consumer goods and services.