The problem with internet in America is a lack of competition - but a radical idea could solve it

When the net-neutrality debate hit its peak in the fall of 2014, Ted Cruz wrote a bad tweet:

The Republican senator was torched for this, for many justified reasons. The net-neutrality laws that would be passed in 2015 - which prevent ISPs from blocking, throttling, or prioritizing certain traffic for financial gain - have not let the Fed determine how much you pay for internet service, and banning internet providers like Comcast and Verizon from slowing down websites for profit has never been the same as mandating citizens to buy private health insurance. Cruz's rationale was wrong.

But with the GOP in control of Washington, and with current Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Ajit Pai intent on erasing those net-neutrality laws from the books, Cruz hasn't softened his stance whatsoever. In a FCC oversight hearing last month, he used the phrase yet again as part of a wider call to repeal the net-neutrality laws.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

And you know what? The notion of the net-neutrality laws being like Obamacare isn't that crazy. It wasn't crazy the first time, either. But Cruz won't agree with the reason why.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Business Insider.