[abb]

There’s nothing new under the sun.

http://www.amazon.com/Government-Control-Telegraph-Telephone-Systems/dp/1278766464

Government Control Of The Telegraph And Telephone Systems: Hearings On H.j.res. 368 Before The Committee On The Post Office And Post Roads, House Of ... 3d Session, January 23-28, 1919

[Beagle8U]

I remember well the days of government regulated phone service...

Everything farther than 2 blocks away was ‘long distance’, charged by the min.

You were charged extra for extension phones in your home.

Basic service was a ‘party line’, a private phone line was extra.

You had to rent a phone from the service company, owning a phone was illegal.

You had no choice in service providers, just one very expensive company.

There was no ‘911’, if you didn’t have emergency numbers handy you were screwed.

Storms would knock out service for days, even weeks.

I’m sure I’m forgetting some of the wonderful things about fully regulated phone service.