5 Major carriers in US:
WCOM
T
BEL with GBLX
QWST with Bell South
Ameritech/SBC
I think FCC Kenard's comments are rediculous and I thought he was a smarter man - perhaps this is simply policy positioning of some kind. Fact is, T provides significant competition and Qwest provides some as well as Global Crossing. But perhaps even more importantly, by the time the deal closes next Fall, some Bells will probably be in the long distance business or will be very, very close. In short, I as a consumer am not the least bit concerned that my long distance bill will rise.
Furthermore, our carriers need to have size to dominate the global scene. These mergers will benefit american business in that our carriers will have the resources to purchase facilities worldwide and with these facilities, they will be able to offer very low rates to keep the business.
Eventually, perhaps 5-7 carriers will dominate the globe. It would be nice if 3 of them were US companies (WCOM, T, and ?). This is where we will end up in my opinion - like the autos - 3 major competitors. |
