[1st-mile-nm] [nmisp] Interesting report

[John Osmon]

On Mon, Apr 06, 2009 at 09:54:04PM -0600, Marianne Granoff wrote:
[...]
> Every state PUC or PRC is under pressure to de-regulate phone service 
> because "there is so much competition" .  This report shows why that 
> competition is not adequate to protect consumers from significant 
> price increases by their local phone companies when rates are de-regulated.

I've always said that there was a single criterion that could be used to
tell when there is sufficient "competition" in the wireline world:
    When the ILEC gives Caller-ID away for free.

Caller-ID, voice-mail, and all of the other "extras" are free with most
cell phone accounts, because *not* giving them away leaves a given
carrier vulnerable to its competition.  ILEC have no serious
copmetition, and thus have no vulnerability to charging exhorbinant fees
for a service that is (essentially) free once the switching gear is
paid for...