For the third year in a row, the Progressive Policy Institute published their “Investment Heroes” report, and for the third year in a row AT&T and Verizon topped the list of firms making the greatest domestic capital investments in the previous year.   AT&T invested an estimated $20.9 billion in the United States in 2013, and Verizon an estimated $15.4, both numbers slightly larger than 2012.  The $36.3 billion investment from just these two companies dwarfs the entire Internet/Technology sector, which spent $23 billion.

PPI advises regulators to take heed: “The large and ongoing investment by telecommunications, cable, and technology companies means it is imperative legislators and policymakers strike the right balance on issues such as broadband regulation, the IP transition, government-owned broadband networks, and data privacy.”