The size isn't really the fundamental problem. High density areas in the US are also poorly served. My thought is that the root problem is that free markets for

The size isn't really the fundamental problem. High density areas in the US are also poorly served. My thought is that the root problem is that free markets for the service in the US aren't efficient because the players are too big and too few. Neither has the FCC regulated the market to a structure that would bring out competitive activity. Europe has more regulation to ensure portability across markets, as well as smaller regions, fundamentally divided by national boundaries. This sizing leads to smaller required capital investments, allowing more competitors and less customer lock in. Collectively this results in a more competitive market. Vs. the US where the cost of spectrum auctions alone lock-out everyone but the largest x companies. With few other competitors, it's logical for the companies to rely on open pricing signals to avoid competition on price.