if it truly is a case where the city isn't regulating but instead simply competing with the telcos and beating them that's great. I'm just paranoid because the government has the legal right to enforce whatever they can get away with.
This is why Democratic orthodoxy on healthcare policy is to allow citizens to "buy into" Medicare. Premiums at every private firm would plummet and coverage would expand.
if this is true it is something i can support. free competition is the defining feature that has created the standard of living we enjoy. it is also the only thing that will bring that standard of living to the 3rd world. never ending aid doesn't fundamentally improve conditions.
Why would you be stuck on the city's network? Consumers could freely switch to the telco's network whenever they wanted.
If the telcos want to upgrade and beat the city on speed, that's fine. Either way the consumer wins.