[palmer]

That network operates under a set of laws, and much of it is literally federal property.

That is not true. All of the commercial internet is private property. Most of the non-commercial internet is owned by private non-profits and run under gentleman's agreements. The heavy hand of Federal regulation does not exist.

[editor-surveyor]

.
Simply not true.

The two biggest hard wire cross country links are property of the US Defense Dept.