Nationalizing US Telecommunications: A Proposal to Achieve Common Prosperity for All  

by Gordon Fuller  

Gordon Fuller is a telecommunications policy expert and advocate for community-owned digital infrastructure, with extensive experience in municipal broadband initiatives. Gordon works with communities to develop sustainable, equitable telecommunications systems to serve the public interest.

The United States stands at a pivotal moment in its history. Our telecommunications infrastructure—essential for modern life—is controlled by private equity giants and tech oligarchs who prioritize profits over public good. It’s time to reclaim this critical resource, nationalize telecommunications services, and transform them into a public utility optimized for the prosperity of all Americans.  

The Case for Public Ownership  

Telecommunications is the backbone of our society. From education to healthcare, commerce to entertainment, every aspect of life depends on reliable and affordable connectivity. Yet, millions of Americans remain without adequate access due to the profit-driven motives of private corporations. According to the FCC, up to 42 million Americans lack broadband access, with rural and low-income communities disproportionately affected.  

Private companies like Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast have failed to close this gap despite decades of subsidies and tax breaks. Meanwhile, tech billionaires like Elon Musk (Starlink), Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Jeff Bezos (Amazon’s Project Kuiper), and Peter Thiel advocate for deregulation and privatization under the guise of “efficiency.” Their rhetoric masks a self-serving agenda that perpetuates inequality while extracting wealth from public resources.  

The Hypocrisy of Private Equity  

Private equity firms and telecom executives claim their models reduce costs and foster innovation. In reality, they prioritize short-term gains through asset stripping, layoffs, and reduced capital expenditures on critical infrastructure. A 2024 McKinsey report revealed that telco CEOs themselves doubt their business models’ sustainability, with 52% believing their companies won’t be economically viable within a decade without drastic changes.  

Elon Musk has publicly criticized government “bureaucracy,” claiming it stifles innovation in broadband deployment. Similarly, Peter Thiel has argued against public ownership, calling it “antithetical to progress.” Yet both have benefited immensely from government contracts and subsidies—Musk’s SpaceX received billions in federal funding for Starlink’s satellite network. Their hypocrisy is glaring: they decry government inefficiency while relying on taxpayer dollars to fund their own ventures.  

The Failure of Deregulation  

The Trump administration’s telecommunications policies epitomized the dangers of deregulation such that Wired Magazine advises its readers to move their digital services overseas. By rolling back net neutrality protections and favoring corporate consolidation, these policies enriched telecom giants while worsening service quality and affordability for consumers. The promise of “cost savings” was a lie—average internet prices in the U.S. remain among the highest globally, with little improvement in coverage or speed.  

Corporatist politicians perpetuate the myth that public ownership is inefficient and costly, ignoring evidence to the contrary. For example, municipal broadband networks like Chattanooga’s EPB Fiber Optics have demonstrated that publicly owned systems can deliver faster speeds at lower costs while fostering local economic growth. These success stories prove that government-led initiatives can outperform private monopolies when designed with the public interest in mind.

A Vision for Decentralized Public Infrastructure  

Nationalizing telecommunications doesn’t mean centralizing all control in Washington—it means creating a flexible framework that empowers local communities through decentralized networks. Municipal cooperatives could play a vital role in this vision by hosting edge computing hubs, IoT access points, and distributed AI systems tailored to local needs.  

Key Benefits of Decentralization  

1. Equitable Access: Local networks ensure underserved communities receive adequate resources.

2. Job Creation: Building and maintaining decentralized infrastructure creates skilled jobs nationwide.

3. Innovation Hubs: Community-owned networks foster innovation by providing platforms for startups and researchers.

4. Resilience: Decentralized systems are less vulnerable to outages or cyberattacks affecting centralized infrastructure.

By integrating technologies like spatial computing and edge AI into public telecom infrastructure, we can create human-centered systems that improve quality of life while driving economic growth.

A Better Future Through Public Ownership  

Imagine a future where every American has affordable high-speed internet as a basic right—where rural farmers can use IoT sensors to optimize crops, urban students can access virtual classrooms without barriers, and small businesses can thrive in a digitally connected economy. This is not a utopian dream; it is an achievable reality through nationalized telecommunications infrastructure.

Public ownership would eliminate the profit motive that drives inequality in our current system. Instead of enriching shareholders, revenues could be reinvested into improving services, expanding coverage, and reducing costs for consumers.

Shaming the Status Quo  

Let’s be clear: the private equity model is antithetical to progress. Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos, Thiel—and the politicians who enable them—are not visionaries; they are profiteers exploiting public resources for personal gain. Their claims of reducing bureaucracy are smokescreens for dismantling regulations that protect consumers and promote fairness.

It’s time to reject their lies about government inefficiency and recognize that public ownership is not only viable but essential for ensuring universal access to telecommunications services.

Conclusion: Connectivity as a Human Right  

Telecommunications are inventions of human ingenuity—tools we created to connect with one another and build better lives. As such, they should serve all people, not just those who can afford exorbitant prices set by profit-driven corporations.

By nationalizing telecommunications infrastructure as a public utility owned by citizens, we can create a more equitable society where everyone benefits from connectivity’s transformative power. This is not just about technology; it’s about democracy, justice, and the right of every citizen to participate fully in modern life.

The future is ours to shape—a future where connectivity is a right, not a privilege; where innovation thrives on public platforms; where prosperity is shared by all Americans. Let us demand nothing less than a telecommunications system worthy of our collective potential—a system built by the people, for the people.

Keywords: Nationalization of telecommunications, Public ownership, Decentralized networks, Community-based infrastructure, Digital equity, Public utility model, Anti-DEIA practices, Private equity critique, Oligarchy influence, Tech industry accountability, Spatial computing, Edge computing, Distributed AI, IoT integration, Municipal cooperatives, Public infrastructure benefits

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