[simoncion]

In the same way telecoms and other incumbent data-services providers can lobby local and state governments to create regulation that ensures that newcomers are prevented from entering the data-services market in the area, folks who are currently making big money from renting housing can lobby their local and state government to do the same.

(One obvious way for the folks making big money from renting housing to do this is to ensure the obstruction of new construction.)

And (of course) both sets of politically-savvy entities can encourage others to agitate on their behalf for the entity's preferred political outcome.