[zem]

> In this case, the ISP kicked things up a notch. If their users don't like it, they can always switch providers.

this is often not an option, thanks to governmentshaving granted isps and telcos local monopolies in return for their laying the physical cable.

[bjelkeman-again]

You really need to work on fixing that. Which I know is not trivial, but I predict it is going to be a serious or at least costly problem until you and your compatriots do. Where I live in a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, we have six ISPs offering 100 Mbps in the fibre to the front door ($34/month). The local fibre network is owned and managed by the community through a wholly owned infrastructure company (water, sewage, waste, roads, heating and internet).

[boq]

There is no local monopoly France. (for ADSL, not speaking about fiber here).

All of the "last-kilometer" connectivity is owned by the historical telephony operator France Telecom (also known as Orange after its privatization), which has the obligation to rent it to other providers. You can switch between all country-wide ISPs as you wish.