ISPs as publically owned Utilities

2026-04-24 21:36 UTC

Hey everyone, I’m new here but all this news about age verification and data privacy got me thinking about how the Internet itself works and how we connect. I recall hearing somewhere that a town in the US created a city run internet provider and it significantly increased speeds and lowered overhead, as well as provided more of a voice to its users. How would you go about implementing this from the technical side? I figure it would be an uphill battle politically, but I don’t see a lot of good alternatives in this day and age. I love the idea of I2P and Yggdrasil, but as a matter of user accessibility, they take at least some technical experience and time to set up.

Replies (8)

@originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 2026-04-24 21:41

you should know that local and state laws have been enacted specifically to prevent communal telcom services in many places ...because your politicians are bought and paid for. good luck.

Open ##1645696
@axum@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2026-04-24 21:50

I think you have no idea what you are asking. Because the answer is “Have enough capital to afford to be a local ISP”

Open ##1645871
@baronvonj@piefed.social 2026-04-24 22:00

Some US states responded to reports of successful public utility ISPs in other states by banning them. 😐

Open ##1645923
@krotos@lemmy.world 2026-04-24 22:00

wired.com/…/this-man-built-his-own-isp-26-million…

Open ##1645924
@RIotingPacifist@lemmy.world 2026-04-24 23:46

It’s how rural America got electricity, it’s wild that the system is so captured that many people believe it’s easier to launch junk into space than to run cables to people’s homes.

Open ##1646948
@MrNobody@quokk.au 2026-04-25 07:37

What makes the Internet work is furries?

Open ##1656966
@kalleboo@lemmy.world 2026-04-25 08:52

Where I lived before in Sweden, it was the municipal power company that built a fiber network, since they already had all the right-of-way and know-how/staff for pulling cables. The power company itself only maintained the physical network, and opened it up to third party ISPs to run the actual internet service, allowing to could start an ISP using the network and any customer could choose any ISP. ISPs would compete on price, support and value-adds like IPTV and telephony.

Open ##1658164
@Staff@piefed.world 2026-04-25 18:01

If you’re adding users, might as well add network workers

Open ##1669728