Do you want a competition in the local telephone market?

I am sorry, but this commentary applies more to the Canadian audience. As it involves the CRTC, which regulates a whole lot of things in Canada.

The issue as I see it, is the deregulation of our local telephone service, which basically allows other's (companies) to come in and use, for a reasonable fee our local exchange and sell that service back to us at a lower or competitive rate. Am I Missing Something?

I do agree with competition in long distance because all the resources and infrastructure does not belong to the telephone companies. Some of it was built by investors and rented or leased back to the long distance players. In that case anyone should be able to lease space and re-sell it.

In the case of the local telephone company, us subscribers, yes our network fee every month makes us shareholders in the company. As well as those who have bought shares; as I see it, we are the owners.

All the assets of your local telephone company, whether it's MT&T, NBTel or IslandTel were purchased from share sales, or capital borrowing. Our subscriber network fees are used to pay back their investment in our telephone network.

Your local network provides you all the services that are available, anywhere.

What "carrot" are the new players going to use to "stick" it to you for the services you already get. What new services can they offer you, that you will not be able to get from your local network, which by the way, is the same network the new guys are offering these new services on. Again I seem to be missing something!

Are or Is their any lawyers out their who can Make A Case Before The Courts In Canada, that local telephone service can not be opened up to competition without the consent of the Subscribers and Shareholders?

Cable TV Companies
As you may already know, the CRTC has issued a ruling that allows your local Cable TV operator to enter into the telephone business and your local Telephone company to enter into the cable tv business. This will effect competition, be more productive in developing new technologies, and setting the pace of change and lowering subscriber costs, than, in my opinion destroying the base, which the local telephone company can use to effectively create employment, competition and lower the prices of services.
New Services
I have developed several ideas for new services for the local telephone companies.

How do you approach them with your ideas?
Do they answer e-mail or fax inquiries?

Well they respond to this commentary?
I hope so!
I have developed ideas that I believe will allow them to maintain their corporate and business base by providing new and unique services that are both patient(able) and copyright(able).

What's in it for me?
OK! That's a fair question.
For me a five year contract at $50,000.00 a year. $50,000 paid on signing and the balance over the life of the contract.

Believe me, the telephone companies will pay more than $100,000.00 a year on rebates and advertising on Cable TV just to keep the subscriber base they now have. At half that price to provide new services to their most important clients, and generate new earnings from these services and the sale or transfer of the technology, I'm cheap!