system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why can't I get internet without an ISP or cable company?

I just want to know what they have that I don't, and if I can get it.
gpt
Well, not to make it too simple, but they have the connection to the Internet.

Same reason you need to go to a gas station to get gas. You can't go to the refinery and get it; they are simply not going to sell you that small an amount of gas. The refineries only sell to distributors, who in turn only sell to gas stations.

ISPs buy connectivity in bulk from backbone providers (Level3 for example). Level3 couldn't care less about your measly 10 megabit connection; they deal in gigabits and terabits.