[mrep]

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government created by statute (47 U.S.C. § 151 and 47 U.S.C. § 154) to regulate interstate communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the media, public safety and homeland security, and modernizing itself. [0]

Lots of that communication moves through electromagnetic radiation which practically anyone anywhere can use/interfere with. This is a textbook case of a common good which if unmanaged would be effectively destroyed due to the tragedy of the commons [1].

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Communications_Commiss...

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons

[jessaustin]

FCC was formed to discourage competition in telecom, and that is mostly what it has done for over 80 years.