Re: Microsoft

Warrl kyree Tale'sedrin (warrl@mail.blarg.net)
Thu, 30 Apr 1998 00:04:42 +0000


> From: Dan Fabulich <daniel.fabulich@yale.edu>

> Actually, there's a great body of evidence that (at least at the time of
> the study) electricity was a natural monopoly. So, to be fair, the
> government took over. <throws his hands in the air>

Hm... oddly enough, government force had to be used to compel the
owners of electric companies *not* to provide competing service.

In some jurisdictions, the laws to authorize this force were never
enacted and, therefore, competition continued and continues. Those
jurisdictions typically have better electric service at lower rates,
as compared to adjacent areas with regulated-monopoly providers.
This is true even when all of the competing providers are also
regulated-monopoly providers in adjacent areas.
>
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