Consumers Leery of Mergers

Networking for Small Business writes about the pending telecom mergers: "Some fear that lessened competition will weaken their bargaining leverage and drive up prices." "Then again, more regulation might mean less innovation." (As if the RBOCs have ever done anything innovative). "[MCI's] Capellas also says it's what customers want: "simplified delivery, one-stop shopping and one point of contact." "They also want competitive prices, which typically requires more competitors." "It's kind of like we're going back to where we started in this industry," NJEDge's Laskaris says. Medium and large telecom customers wonder about future price increases as well as customer service quality.