A discussion about the Telecommunication Industry

For many years most people only had one option for pay TV service; cable.  Satellite TV offered some level of competition, but you need line of site access to the satellite and apartment and condo owners are generally out of luck.  Satellite can’t bundle phone and Internet service either.  Recently, Verizon's FiOS and AT&T's U-Verse have changed the pay TV landscape.  In little more then a year, Verizon FiOS has been installed by over 9 million people.  That represents ¼ of Verizon entire customer base.  AT&T has less then a quarter million U-Verse subscribers, but they are adding more then 10,000 per week.  Cable companies across the country are seeing their customers leave in droves and are adding services, lowering prices, and trying to improve customer service in an attempt to stem the tide of defections.  Regardless, when there is competition the customer is the winner.