What railroad monopolies can teach us about tech giants

The current controversy about the monopolistic power of Internet service providers echoes similar concerns about railroads in the late-19th century, according to a U.S. historian. As anti-monopolists did in the first Gilded Age, advocates of an open Internet argue that regulation will advance competition by creating a level playing field, resulting in more innovation and better products. The most important element of the debate–hen and now–is the wider concerns about the effects on society.