[Doghouse Riley]

The correct analogy to broadband providers which have locally granted monopolies (ie, the cable companies and hardwire telcos) would be something like an electric utility. Yes, it's traded on the NYSE and pays a dividend, but the odds of anyone being able to start up a competitor are effectively ZERO.

Now suppose your electric company owned all the local Burger King franchises too, and decided one morning that Wendy's and McDonald's needed to pay 3x the current rate per kilowatt hour?

Would your response be, "Hey, Wendy's is free to go build their own hydro stationa and nuc plants if they choose?"

[NCSteve]

The correct analogy to broadband providers which have locally granted monopolies (ie, the cable companies and hardwire telcos) would be something like an electric utility.

AT&T provides DSL and/or cable broadband in various markets, but they have competition from other cable providers and private DSL providers. There is no monopoly. As a matter of fact, broadband Internet is an extremely competetive market. This part of your argument is incorrect, so the rest of it falls apart and need not be addressed.