An entrenched-monopoly dominating an industry primarily controlled by network effects isn't really a free market either, free markets don't exist outside of college econ textbooks.

We all agree to use the same company for infrastructure, just like we all agree to use the same couple of companies for social media. It's just when the social media companies do things that are bad people pop up and say "they are private companies in a free market they can do whatever they want" because these companies are new and cable companies are old.