Let Competition Ring

摘要

The telecom industry is about to enter a new phase of competition. The industry has experienced an incredible boom and crash in the past few years, followed by scores of bankruptcies and massive layoffs. That has overshadowed a more significant long-term development: Major local telephone companies have slowly but steadily won the right to offer long-distance service in the states where they offer local service. That means the former regional Bell telephone companies are poised to compete with big longdistance carriers for business-network contracts. This new era of competition offers risks and rewards for savvy business-technology managers who take advantage of the changes to gain lower prices, higher-quality network services, and better customer service.