Solution: government runs the fiber to a cross-connect point, private companies offer services (anything, Internet, TV, phone, or something we haven't even thought of) over that fiber and pay a small fee for use of the line.
Right of way is a natural monopoly. There's a limited amount of space on poles and in conduit. The market can't support having even 4 or 5 providers all running their own lines (even if they all had equal penetration rates, none of them would be making a profit).
When it's done this way, you can choose from many different providers (see UTOPIA and the, what, 9 or 10 providers they have that are all offering 1G for $65-$70/mo.?) and there's actual competition. Those ISPs can choose to provide options for L2 encryption as well (supporting it on their end and providing CPE that supports it).
Yes, let the government own the monopoly on the "pipes" and let private enterprise compete on the type of "water" that flows down the pipes.
We will never have meaningful competition for pipes anyway so we gain none of the benefits of the free market by handing them over to private ownership.
Right of way is a natural monopoly. There's a limited amount of space on poles and in conduit. The market can't support having even 4 or 5 providers all running their own lines (even if they all had equal penetration rates, none of them would be making a profit).
When it's done this way, you can choose from many different providers (see UTOPIA and the, what, 9 or 10 providers they have that are all offering 1G for $65-$70/mo.?) and there's actual competition. Those ISPs can choose to provide options for L2 encryption as well (supporting it on their end and providing CPE that supports it).