Rivals Say Verizon Seeks Monopoly

RIVALS SAY VERIZON SEEKS MONOPOLY
[SOURCE: New York Post, AUTHOR: Janet Whitman]
Telecom start-ups are worried that a possible ruling by the feds will return Ma Bell offspring Verizon Communications to its monopoly status. Verizon has asked the Federal Communications Commission to drop a requirement that forces the telephone company to let new rivals rent the "last mile" of its copper wire infrastructure at a discount. Many competitors in the six markets where Verizon is seeking the exemption - including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, R.I., and Virginia Beach, Va. - say a ruling in the company's favor could ruin their business because it could jack up the prices they pay. Such a move, they argue, would result in fewer choices for consumers and ultimately lead to pricier phone bills.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/09182007/business/rivals_say_verizon_seeks_monop.htm