>they just own the coax in the area and it obviously is not worth the investment to lay redundant wires
Sooner or later, this sort of thing must be addressed with a "public utility" perspective in mind -- not just in US but here in Europe as well. Why can I use different gas providers, or different electricity providers, or even different water providers in some countries, without pipe ownership being a factor? Answer: better laws. A degree of resource-sharing is forced upon providers by law, for the benefit of consumers.
Sooner or later, this sort of thing must be addressed with a "public utility" perspective in mind -- not just in US but here in Europe as well. Why can I use different gas providers, or different electricity providers, or even different water providers in some countries, without pipe ownership being a factor? Answer: better laws. A degree of resource-sharing is forced upon providers by law, for the benefit of consumers.