Broadband scuffle reaches Supreme Court

“Two competing visions of the future of high-speed Internet services will face off before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, in a closely watched case that could set the rules of the road for broadband competition in America for years to come.

At stake is whether cable broadband providers must share their lines with rivals–as happens in the phone industry–or whether they should be exempt from such rules. Though seemingly arcane, the issue could influence how quickly high-speed Internet services come online across the country, what features they will have and how much they will cost–particularly in those regions where cable is the only broadband choice for consumers.”