Of all of the utilities, power & water should be considered basic rights. Yet, I find it curious how cities provide water and sewage, yet power utilities are private. Solid waste also tends to be private. There are a few cities that provide power. Burbank, CA is one that I have personally had an account. I would include gas in that, but if you have power & water, you can do with out gas.
In today's age, I think a basic internet connection (5mbps down/1Mbps up) should be required at all addresses, and then premium packages with higher speeds could be purchased. But that's a can I'd be happy to kick down the road if we could get power&water guaranteed to all first.
Whether something can be considered a "basic right" is independent of who is doing the manufacturing and distribution.
Food is a basic right. We have food stamps to cover those who can't afford food. But that doesn't mean we need a nationalized canned soup manufacturer. Or to nationalize Wonder Bread.
With proper money allocation and regulation, there's no reason that "basic rights" can't be provided for by a competitive albeit monitored market.
In today's age, I think a basic internet connection (5mbps down/1Mbps up) should be required at all addresses, and then premium packages with higher speeds could be purchased. But that's a can I'd be happy to kick down the road if we could get power&water guaranteed to all first.