Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!agate!telecom-request From: weave@chopin.udel.edu (Ken Weaverling) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Telephone Monopoly in Delaware Ends Message-ID: Date: 23 Mar 91 15:03:56 GMT Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Organization: TELECOM Digest Lines: 38 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 230, Message 3 of 14 The {News-Journal}, Delaware's largest local paper, had the following headline March 20: "Telephone monopoly in Del. ends" Below are some excerpts, comments, and a few questions... "The Public Service Commission ended Diamond State Telephone Co's monopoly on long-distance calling within the state Tuesday. ... The commission's action follows a national trend by regulators to break up local Baby Bell phone monopolies ... It will be at least July 1 before new carriers can join in the competition for intrastate business." I have been a regular reader of the Digest for about a year now, though I don't read every single article. I don't recall reading about similar action in other areas, except on some business lines. *Is* this a trend across the country? Also, no mention was made of whether calls to (215) would be open to competition. Area Code 215 (Philadelphia) is within our same LATA. This doesn't make any sense to me, since Delaware has been moving towards unlimited local state-wide calling. If I can call downstate for free, what is MCI, Sprint, and AT&T going to offer me? This expanded local calling area seems to contradict trends across the country to measured unit local calling. Is this why I wonder. My speculation is somewhat confirmed in this same newspaper article... "We are generally pleased by the ruling," Diamond State spokesman Ells Edwards said after the ruling. "Factors on the local company's side as competition opens up include markedly lower rates, expanded calling areas enacted by the commission on January 1 and proposed statewide toll-free calling now being studied by Diamond State."