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From: sykora@csd2.UUCP (Michael Sykora)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: Roads And Telephony
Message-ID: <4340037@csd2.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 2-Jan-86 08:50:00 EST
Article-I.D.: csd2.4340037
Posted: Thu Jan  2 08:50:00 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 4-Jan-86 02:45:34 EST
References: <343@ihnet.UUCP>
Organization: New York University
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>/* eklhad@ihnet.UUCP (K. A. Dahlke) / 12:32 pm  Dec 30, 1985 */

>Like roads, telephony possesses economic characteristics that make
>competition impractical and inefficient, at the local level.

New technologies seem to be challenging this notion.  Many firms are bypassing
the local telephone company when hooking up to a long-distance carrier, for
example.

>An interesting difference between roads and telephony is the 
>solution adopted.  The government was always a bit afraid of
>telephony, since it is a high tech thing, and (sometimes)
>the government recognizes its own technical incompetence.

How do you know that this was the reason?

>For now, can we dispense with the "private roads would work" articles?

No.

Mike Sykora