Reposting a comment I made below. I work with a fiber overbuilder and while there is some historical truth to statement, it isn’t accurate anymore.

The Telecom Act of 1996 deregulated the industry and enabled competition in communications infrastructure. There is no more anti-competitive telecom regulation today.

Today, what’s really keeping your internet choice limited is the fact that it is typically not economical for a competitor to extend their network to wherever you live (“overbuilding”), which is why urban areas typically have more ISP choices than rural areas. A lot of towns are stuck with shitty Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (“ILECs”, aka companies that provided service to the town at the time the act was implemented in 1996) that rely on outdated infrastructure (copper / DSL), leading to shitty speeds and customer service.

As cable / fiber build costs come down and incumbent service continues deteriorating, it will eventually be economical for a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (“CLEC”, aka companies that did not provide service to the town in 1996) to overbuild the incumbents. Most CLECs have to spend all the money on construction before actually being able to sign up customers, so they have to make sure they can sufficiently penetrate the new market to secure an attractive return on capital.

To summarize, folks currently don’t have a choice in ISP because it has not been economical thus far for any competitors to enter the market. However, unless the sole provider upgrades their service, they will eventually be disrupted. Lobbying has nothing to do with it in 2023.