The American model is powered by private, for-profit organizations. On the next level down, consumers are facing a Balkanized patchwork of cable, fiber, and DSL services with minimal competition and zero infrastructure sharing. Flooding or overriding this system with government support would be politically impossible, so we’re stuck with this framework. That means focusing on profits over service quality, and there is no incentive at all to lower the cost to consumers.

via How Come My ISP Won’t Increase Internet Speed and Lower My Bill, Like They Do in Sweden? (VZ).