&gt;If a natural monopoly actually existed, we wouldn&#x27;t have Google Fiber expanding across the country<p>Internet access isn&#x27;t a natural monopoly, it just has very, very, very, very high barriers to entry. You actually can run multiple cables down the same pipe easily enough (unlike water).<p>It still approximates a monopoly, as can be seen by the fact that the barriers to entry have prevented even a company like Google with exceptionally deep pockets from muscling in.<p>&gt;In fact, Google Fiber&#x27;s biggest impediment to expansion has been government regulators.<p>Did you really think Verizon and Comcast were going to let their duopoly go without a fight?<p>&gt;The same goes with water provision - if it was a natural monopoly, we wouldn&#x27;t have alternatives such as bottled water available on the market<p>Bottled water is an entirely different market with a very limited level of substitution with tap water.<p>&gt;Using Russia as an example of free market failures<p>Is entirely appropriate since they were advised by elite &quot;free market economists&quot; (the kind whom you would cite as justification for your opinions) to follow the policy course that they did.<p>Unlike China, which followed the advice of its own (rather smarter) economists.