LLU has a much clearer remit in places like Europe where all the copper was laid by government owned telecoms - thus, the copper is clearly public property. As

LLU has a much clearer remit in places like Europe where all the copper was laid by government owned telecoms - thus, the copper is clearly public property. As part of privatizing these telcos, LLU was introduced to avoid creating a private monopoly on telecommunication. In the US, the situation might charitably be described as a bit more complicated - the copper was laid by private actors, although under protection from the state. It is, at least, a lot less obvious that the copper isn't some sort of private property.