The Evolution of Regional Internet Service Providers (ISPs): From the Brazilian Experience to the American Landscape

The trajectory of regional Internet Service Providers constitutes an empirically relevant case for understanding how technology, market structure, and territorial diffusion interact in broadband expansion. This article examines the historical and technological evolution of regional ISPs in Brazil, from the dial-up era to the current phase of high-capacity optical networks, and contrasts this trajectory with the structural configuration of the broadband market in the United States. Drawing upon empirical evidence regarding spatial distribution of infrastructure, local competitive dynamics, regional productivity effects, and FTTH/PON architectures, the study argues that decentralized entry into commercially unattractive municipalities was associated with increased territorial capillarity in Brazil. In contrast, the persistence of duopolistic market structures in the United States conditioned broadband diffusion patterns. The comparative analysis underscores the importance of competitive architecture in determining the pace and breadth of infrastructure expansion.