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   Merging Phone Companies

   

   Burt Masnick, Mar 15th, 2001 @ 2:57pm

   
   

   Actually, it's not so dopey that the telcos are merging. There is a massive infrastructure expense in front of them as the telcos gear up for the wireless, data heavy new world awaiting us. It just doesn't make sense because of the massive costs associated with building that infrastructure that the equipment and the huge expense be duplicated by each company. Unpalatable to predict a small number of giant, impersonal telephone monopolies but economics probably makes that the future. Back to Ma Bell uber alles.

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2.  

   Re: Merging Phone Companies

   

   Mike (profile), Mar 15th, 2001 @ 8:51pm

   
   

   Heh heh. Not to start a family battle or anything... but... let me explain. What I meant is that from a consumer point of view, it's been pure hell. First there's the general confusion - who the hell is Cingular anyway? And for the most part they've been terrible at integration. The folks I know who were using Verizon flipped out when it turned out their cell phone in San Francisco wouldn't work in Seattle - even though Verizon is in both places.
   
   I understand it looks good on paper... I just think the execution has been pretty dreadful. Anyway, if the economics made sense for a single phone monolith, then why'd Ma Bell get broken up in the first place?

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