> Regarding the first sentence, it's possible that the optimal firm count in some communities and especially sparsely populated areas is one (i.e. an actual nat

> Regarding the first sentence, it's possible that the optimal firm count in some communities and especially sparsely populated areas is one (i.e. an actual natural monopoly), but in most communities I would expect it top be at least two or three, since broadband can be delivered through phone lines and cable television lines (which most communities are wired for). There are obviously other feasible media, like power lines and wireless. You literally described what we already have today. We already know how that turns out, too: horribly. > Could you explain why you believe that last-mile infrastructure is inevitably a monopoly? Could you explain why you think we don't already have one? DSL lost against DOCSIS. If you want last-mile internet of a decent speed, your choice almost everywhere is cable, period.