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Richmonders, and residents
of any major urban area in Virginia, receive endless solicitations from a variety of local telephone companies wanting to offer their services. While the incessant marketing calls and mail irritate urban dwellers, rural Virginians long for the day competitors fight for their business.
But no such choices are offered in most of Virginia, because there is usually onlyone provider.
That is why a current attempt to get the General Assembly to give more freedom to raise local telephone rates alarms our organization so much. Of course, if this freedom is granted, the result will not be increased rates in areas where there is stiff competition. Rather, it will be higher rates where there is no competition^ in rural communities.
The request came to the General Assembly this January with a comprehensive deregulation bill that would remove oversight almost entirely from the State Corporation Commission, whose job is to regulate business practices in the state, especially those of monopolies. For years, consumers have relied on the SCC to
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