What is important to note is that the view of internet fragmentation has evolved and now a certain level of fragmentation is tolerable ( at different layers : Technical , Governance , Trade ), and as you have mentioned now we are looking for bridges. Hope that is not only a business trend!
I don't think we have a choice over whether or not to tolerate it. Fragmentation already exists, in the form of arbitrary website blockages in various countries. The most obvious is the Great Firewall of China, but that country is far from alone in blocking sites. The reasons can be political, economic, cultural or ethical, and even western countries engage in it (for instance, piracy or Nazi sites). The alternative to tolerance is reciprocity or other punitive measures, which will only make the fragmentation worse.
The fragmentation can even be technical and benign rather than active. The whole reason for ICANN's "universal acceptance" marketing campaign is to convince the world to implement ICANN's initiatives in new domains and non-Latin character-set support. Surely these campaigns wouldn't be needed if implementation was widespread.
- Evan