The root of the problem is the legal difference between POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service), which has been around a long time, and broadband, which came much later and had the POTS environment as an example of what to avoid (from the POV of Comcast and their ilk).<p>The old dialup ISPs were allowed to resell internet service on the local provider&#x27;s POTS lines. There was quite a lot of competition, and the service was generally excellent, even generally better than the carrier&#x27;s.<p>There is no requirement for broadband providers like Comcast to allow resellers. The barrier to entry for laying other broadband lines is huge; Google is one of the few who can do it. So unless there&#x27;s a quantum leap in wireless to the curb, there will be no meaningful competition to amoral corporations like Comcast; we&#x27;re stuck and it will continue to suck.