https://sn.1w6.org/file/lnxw48a1-20171218T013846-hy8c4bx.html

Here's another insight that is needful for understanding #NetNeutrality's implications: Incentives are different for ISPs that own the physical medium over which the Internet connection travels into the customer's facility ("last mile") than they are for ISPs which do not own it. #Comcast faces different temptations than #DSL_Extreme faces.

The reason there were so many ISPs during the era of pervasive dial-up is that #FCC "common carrier" rules prevented the last mile owners from blocking other providers (such as AOL, Prodigy, EarthLink, and the local mom and pop companies that sprung up everywhere). The reason there are so few options besides the last mile providers is that the FCC ruled that high speed access (first with cable, around the year 2000-2001, then later DSL/fiber) was not subject to said requirements.