Money is a formidable force. It causes otherwise rational people to become estranged from their families. It makes companies bicker over semantics and, in some cases, teeter over ethical lines. And as a general rule, the entities that have more money also have more power than those that don't. In telecom, the incumbent local exchange carriers are considered the richest—at least in the local loop space. They own the golden (well, copper) link to the end customer and they aren't readily willing to give it up—even though the Telecom Act of 1996 says they should play more fairly. The ILECs have more money, more lobbyists and, thus, more clout than their local competitors.
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