Have you ever had to make a choice on which phone company to
go with? Have you ever wondered how you
even have that choice? You may have
heard of it. It’s called deregulation. Deregulation broke up big monopolies where
one company gave customers one choice on one kind of service for their
utilities, even the telecommunications.
The telecommunications act of 1996 opened up doors where customers had
the choice of providers, advanced services, and competitive prices. Deregulation was great for the marketplace
and consumers alike and as you read on you will explore why.
First of all deregulation gave
customers the choice of providers. This
is great because a customer does not have to settle with one type of service. If a customer is not satisfied with a
provider in any way they have the right to shop around. For this reason it forces companies to stay
competitive and strive for higher quality assurance. This is greatly beneficial to the customer
and insures they have greater experiences with their chosen provider.
Another great outcome of deregulation
is the advanced services and technology that has become available. Before when big companies controlled
everything in their market it left little or no room for anyone or anything
else. For example, before the bell
companies were forced to divest they controlled everything down to the actual
phone in the house. They would rent this
out to the customers and not allow them to alter or change it in any way. This hindered the creation of the answering
machine and fax machine as well as the evolution of the technology that we have
today. Deregulation has helped clear the
way for the advanced services we have today.
Last and probably most importantly
deregulation has forced companies to price competitively. With most utilities the product is the same and
a company must distinguish itself by its service and pricing. It is simple to see that a company with
better service at lower rates will gain more customers. This competitive pricing leaves you with
better service for less.
Deregulated utilities are great and
beneficial to all of us. Remember the
next time you are looking around for a utility company it was deregulation that
made the choice of providers, advanced services, and competitive prices
available for you. For more information
on saving money on your long distance bill contact National Access Long Distance.
