Imagine if you had a choice of a dozen Internet service providers (ISPs), all competing to provide next-generation fiber broadband at affordable rates. Imagine if these ISPs cared about customer service and the communities they serve. Then imagine if you could switch between these providers in a matter of seconds with only a few online clicks. This is the unrealized potential of the open access wholesale fiber model, whose benefits have been documented for years—yet routinely disregarded by U.S. telecom policymakers in favor of consolidation, powerful gatekeepers, and limited competition.

This report examines data from the US and around the world to explore the current state of broadband in America, and the potential for an open access fiber model to create robust competition and bring about more widespread access, better service, and lower prices.