[colejohnson66]

> Proper role of government is to actively encourage competition, not destroy market by subsidised public service.

I’m of the opinion that if the free market isn’t solving the problem, then the government needs to step in. It’s been repeatedly shown that, even after being given subsidies, ISPs will not spend it on upgrading their networks. Instead, they spend it on raising the salaries of executives and stock buybacks.

Maybe if a competitor were to come in and offer symmetrical gigabit fiber to the home, the ISPs would improve?

Google Fiber was an attempt at that. But even with the weight of Google behind it, starting a new ISP proved too difficult, and they failed.

The barrier to entry is too high and it’s no longer a free market. That’s when the government should step in whether it’s regulation or providing a government run ISP.