They wouldn't be buying any routers without the federal dollars to build fiber so it's kind of a moot point in this situation. Anyone who has worked in the priv

They wouldn't be buying any routers without the federal dollars to build fiber so it's kind of a moot point in this situation. Anyone who has worked in the private sector can tell you this type of stuff happens constantly. Too many technically ignorant people making decisions is the problem public or private. A private contractor could have sold them on the same exact package for the same reasons. Maybe even charged more for it. As for your core point about the role of government... just look at the top 10 economies of the world. Most are not libertarian paradises and they're doing OK. It seems to me both models could probably work if executed properly. I doubt one model is inherently right and one is inherently wrong. Most likely some hybrid is the best solution for everyone.