This is how most natural monopolies are handled. The U.S. is a bit of an outlier in that regional communications is still private.

Yup, I was kind of amazed at how the situation played out a few years ago with Wheeler and then onto Pai. You don't need the same type of net neutrality laws if you just make them utilities, but ISPs of course know this and made sure that wasn't going to happen then.

Agree, that would be the best scenario.

The worse one would be that they actually can block sites and access to the internet is forever changed, now at the will of the ISPs. (fortunately, this would be more plausible under a Republican government, and they're leaving.)