What Happens When a Problem is Solved?

Among serious broadband scholars, the broadband rankings argument is as much dated as it is silly, argues economist George Ford of the Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal and Economic Policy Studies.  

The defects of such rankings have been analyzed over the years, many times, by the Phoenix Center Ford says, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here

Most serious scholars of broadband policy have long abandoned the discussion, he says. "Nevertheless, those more interested in revolutions than facts keep hanging on to these comparisons," says Ford.

All of that raises a question: what happens when a public policy problem actually is solved? Does institutional momentum simply propel organizations along, even if the original problem is solved, or being solved, or solved well enough that we should spend time on other pressing problem?

One sees this rather frequently in other areas, where government programs, for example, continue to operate long after the original problem has been fixed. Many private charitable organizations find the answer is to adopt a new mission, and solve some other related problem. That makes sense. If a particular disease has become quite rate, perhaps it makes more sense to try and eradicate a different disease. 

The issue with broadband rankings not only is that it is difficult to do properly, but that it might even be a problem that is fixed, mostly fixed or being fixed. That isn't to say broadband should not, can not or will not get better. Most observers are certain it will keep getting better. 

The point is that some legitimate problems exist, but that essentially incorrect charges of major and wholesale problems do not help, simply because it is largely a waste of time to spend significant resources trying to fix what already has been repaired. 

Granted, not everybody will agree when the repairs are finished, on a subject as complicated as Internet access. But the perfect should not be the enemy of the good.