Imagine

A powerful transposition of John Lennon's lovely song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrkRTzXfga4

The danger of monopolies looms large

Consumer Advocates Criticize AT& T Deal

freepress.net

Remember when Ma Bell was broken up, and all the innovations that have occurred since?
Well it's back to the stranglehold of non-competitiveness, that will set not only competitiveness back, but free speech as well.
AT&T is moving so fast it's frightening. Power needs strong competition.

Need a few reasons why? The following comments are from:
freepress.net
Please visit this site to follow their links that back up these statements.

"Internet Freedom:Not only are Americans being offered fewer Internet choices at higher costs than other countries, the companies that control access to the network also seek to control the content that is delivered to customers

Privileged Access: As companies jockey for position over the most lucrative broadband markets, the communities at the edges have been left on the wrong side of the digital divide. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 60 percent of households with incomes over $150,000 annually have broadband access, compared to just 10 percent of households with incomes below $25,000.

Limited Service: These corporations have done a lousy job rolling out their services to rural areas and low-income urban communities they’ve deemed unprofitable. As a result, America has fallen from third to 16th place in penetration of high-speed internet services per capita.

Lousy Choice: But even those who can afford to pay for connectivity are increasingly subject to limited choices. According to a recent Free Press report late last year, the number of Americans who have only one or no choice of broadband provider is near 50 percent.

High Costs: Meanwhile, the cost of broadband in other countries has dropped dramatically as speeds have increased. On a per megabit basis, U.S. consumers pay five to 25 times more than broadband users in France and Japan. Nations such as South Korea, Finland, and even Canada have much faster internet connections at a lower relative cost than what is available here."