The Progress and Freedom Foundation (PFF) believes that ownership of telecommunications services in not a legitimate role for local government. In its report, Does Government belong in the Telecommunications Business?, it says “there is strong evidence that government operated telecommunications enterprises have performedmpoorly in the past” and that they “will not achieve [the] desired goals of lower costs and more rapid deployment of efficient telecommunications systems.” This is because, it says, “government entities are not well suited to compete in the dynamic world of telecommunications.” PFF claims that the lower prices charged by government utilities are primarily the result of “extensive subsidies that burden taxpayers and distort the marketplace.”