Homes with Tails: Homeowners providing their own fiber

In an audacious new paper, "Homes With Tails," Tim Wu and Derek Slater argue that there's no good technical or economic reason why homeowners couldn't supply their own fiber-optic internet connections that run hundreds of times faster than today's connections:


We call this property model "Homes with Tails," for the fiber would form part of the property right in the home. Key facets of our approach include:

1. A "condominium" model for fiber ownership, in which individual strands of fiber are sold to consumers, while maintenance and other collective needs are managed jointly.

2. Private firms and municipalities could consider selling fiber connections based on this model; and

3. Governments could consider using various mechanisms to support consumer purchases, including a tax credit to homeowners or renters who purchase a broadband connection.

Summary: Homes With Tails, PDF: Homes With Tails