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AT&T: Meet the New US GSM Monopoly

itwbennett writes "Why should consumers care about the AT&T/T-mobile merger? Already, Verizon has dropped unlimited data plans and the US trails Japan, South Korea, and others in variety and performance of mobiles. Don't think for a second that those aren't the direct result this new monopoly, says blogger Tom Henderson. '...Those pesky State agencies that used to have regulatory authority has been usurped by the US Federal Government,' writes Henderson. 'This wasn't an accident. Who would you rather deal with, 43 different state regulatory authorities, or those convenient people on Capitol Hill?'"

5 of 189 comments (clear)

  1. Where's the "corruption" tag? by zooblethorpe · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It certainly seems appropriate for this article.

    --
    "What in the name of Fats Waller is that?"
    "A four-foot prune."
  2. Re:free market by CyprusBlue113 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Umm, no, it is the regulation of the single tech spectrum that is exactly why other countries have better mobile infrastructure, not stupidly creating more islands of spectrum.

    --
    a handful of selfish greedy people are no match for millions of selfish, greedy people -u4ya
  3. Re:keep voting for them! by ISoldat53 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    We have a two party system. The Sold and the For Sale.

  4. Re:free market by __Reason__ · · Score: 5, Insightful

    AT&T is a bit like the liquid metal terminator from Terminator 2. You can break it into little pieces, but somehow, eventually, it'll find a way to reassemble itself and become a monopoly again.

  5. Yes, thanks to the Magic of the Free Market! by Benfea · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Having a market dominated by a smaller number of larger companies is the ideal capitalist system according to rightist ideology. This is why they like mergers and hate it when antitrust laws are enforced. In this way, the few remaining companies don't have to deal with as much of that pesky "competition" thing, and through economies of scale they can deliver better goods for less money. At least, that's the excuses libertarians and conservatives usually give me.

    This is also part of the reason why I argue that they are not in fact capitalists, but rather neo-feudalists.