I think the government here is taking a good approach by putting down at least empty pipes, which can be filled by anyone who wants to run fiber through them. This is a reasonable compromise in my opinion.
Personally I'd rather they put the fiber in themselves and lease it out, while also giving others the ability to pull their own lines through the pipes.
>> which can be filled by anyone who wants to run fiber through them.
No, there is only so much space in the pipe. It has a limited capacity so the next logical step is to charge for access.
>> Personally I'd rather they put the fiber in themselves and lease it out...
At that point why not just have the government be an ISP an route any and all packets that come their way? See, they're proposing to take care of the hard part - digging and laying the pipe - on behalf of companies. The biggest companies will have the least trouble filling those pipes with light pipes.
Couldn't you plausibly argue that you're in either case you're constrained - in one, by money, and in the other, by money? If so then doesn't it make sense to pick the approach the best benefits consumers (which this seems like it does)?
...which can be filled by AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast who use their lobbying firms, teams of lawyers, and war chests to destroy anyone else who wants to run fiber through them.
Our footprint is big enough without us burying plastic pipes underground. We really shouldn't be expanding the amount of artifacts humankind will leave in this world for those in the future to find and click their tongues at.
Personally I'd rather they put the fiber in themselves and lease it out, while also giving others the ability to pull their own lines through the pipes.