The vast majority of the time, FCC policy presented to the public as being centered around creating competition, is really just the technological equivalent of giving Ma Bell a backrub. “Franchise reform” is one such example; the FCC insisted the revamped state-level franchise rules lobbied for by AT&T and Verizon would lower TV prices — but the real result was the erosion of local consumer protections, higher prices, and increased “cherry picking” of next-gen broadband deployment.