Subject:
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Re: Informal WB Store Survey
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.geek
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Date:
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Fri, 4 Feb 2000 22:51:14 GMT
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Reply-To:
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rsanders@AVOIDSPAMgate.net
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Viewed:
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440 times
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Larry Pieniazek wrote:
>
>
> and people wonder why I think government sponsored monopolies are such a
> bad idea...
< biting the obvious bait and going far off-topic >
Q: Is the local telco a government sponsored monopoly ?
A: I'm not sure one way or the other <reasoning below>
As some of you know, I live in a very rural part of north Florida.
Probably 5-6,000 lines in the entire county [1]. I have been having a
ongoing series of problems with quality of service [2]. In the midst of
all this, I wondered if the telco (BellSouth) was beholding to the
county vis-a-vis a franchise agreement. So I researched the issue. I
found that BellSouth arrived here as the first dial telephone company in
1939 [3]. Then I went to the county official records books at the
courthouse and looked. Nothing. So I asked around to the various county
officials[4]. Again, nothing. The only thing that they could determine
is that BellSouth operates here (using public right-of-way, etc) because
it provides an 'essential service'. As far as I can tell, there is no
franchise/operating agreement that would prevent a competitor from
entering the market. The Florida PSC even has rules in effect that
permit ALECs (Alternative Local Excahnge Carriers). The distinguishing
factor between an ALEC and an ILEC (incumbent LEC) is who was actively
providing service in 1995. So I see no factor (other than market
dynamics[5]) that would prevent another telco from entering the market
in this county.
Ray (dreaming of broadband)
[1] Based on county imposed 911 fees as remitted. Bellsouth does not
disclose line counts per se, either to the county or to the PSC.
[2] Dropped calls, poor connect speeds, you name it. BS only guarentees
9600 baud.
[3] Local newspaper archives.
[4] Living in a small county, these people are more available and more talkative.
[5] Which, based on the line counts, is probably why BS has nothing to
worry about.
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