In the early 80s, the US Federal Government mandated that AT&T divest. This divestiture brought about a separation in the baby bells: Southern Bell , Pacific Bell, Bell Atlantic, Southwestern Bell, NYNEX, and Central Bell, and AT&T. This divestiture also brought about 2 separate research facilities: Bellcore for the baby bells and Bell Laboratories for AT&T. You see, everything had to be separate - long distance and local to enhance competition.

Competitors such as MCI, US Sprint popped up to major awareness, because now, they could financially compete with AT&T. Because of the loss in long distance, the baby bells had to compensate for income, thus call waiting, call forwarding, 3-Way calling, call-busy, memory call, speed call, etcetera, etcetera. I ask all of you, where would we be today without competition?

In a Canadian report titled, Competition and Culture on Canada's Information Highway: Managing the Realities of Transition,19 May 1995, the need for competition is fluent.

"Government policy supports fair, effective and sustainable competition among facilities and services. To achieve these policy goals, it is essential that barriers to competition arising as a result of the monopoly power or dominant position of telephone and cable companies be removed. As regulators and legislators in the United States (as stated earlier) and other countries have recognized, if competition is to be sustainable, rules must be in place that allow effective competition in the local telephone and cable markets, and allow service providers equitable access to both cable and telephone subscribers." For Canada, two acts were established, the 1991 Broadcasting Act and the 1993 Telecommunications Act.

Its Broadcasting Act of 1991 states:

"...the Canadian broadcasting system should encourage the development of Canadian expression by providing a wide range of programming that reflects Canadian attitudes, opinions, ideas, values and artistic creativity, by displaying Canadian talent in entertainment programming and by offering information and analysis concerning Canada and other countries from a Canadian point of view...the programming originated by broadcasting undertakings should be of high standard..."

Section 3.(1)(d)(ii) and (g)

"The Canadian broadcasting system should be regulated and supervised in a flexible manner that...is readily adaptable to scientific and technological change; [and] does not inhibit the development of information technologies and their application or the delivery of resultant services to Canadians..." Section 5.(2)

Its Telecommunications Act 1993 also states:

"...Canadian telecommunications policy has as its objectives...to facilitate the orderly development throughout Canada of a telecommunications system that serves to safeguard, enrich and strengthen the social and economic fabric of Canada and its regions [and] to foster increased reliance on market forces for the provision of telecommunications services and to ensure that regulation, where required, is efficient and effective..."

Section 7.(a) and (f) All in the interest of fostering and safeguarding the act of competition!!!

Defined, competition is a noun depicting the act in rivalry. Acts in rivalry bring about change, alternatives, and enhancements to things currently in our lives. In order to work successfully and in the best interests of us all, competition needs to be:

"Full and open" for example, in respect to a contract action(s), means that all responsible sources are permitted to compete.

"Unique and innovative concept," when used relative to an unsolicited research proposal, means that, in the opinion and to the knowledge of an evaluator, the merited proposal is the product of original thinking submitted in confidence by one source; contains new novel or changed concepts, approaches,

or methods; was not submitted previously by another; and, is not otherwise available.

In this context, the term does not mean that

the source has the sole capability of performing the research.

Competition, acts in rivalry bring about change, alternatives, and enhancements to things currently in our lives. Competition also has a way of bringing about inventions, items that never existed and we find that we could never live without.

Taking this a bit further, remember when the only bank in town was ... Bank of Alabama or First Alabama? Well, now, not only are there Farmers Credit Unions, but Unions for Blue collar and White collar workers. There are Compass Bank, Regents Bank, AmSouth, and SouthTrust bank. Banks are now offering low interest credit cards, low interest mortgages, car financing programs, credit consolidations, investment services, and computer services. It is now much more than your everyday savings and checking institution.

Where would we be without competition? It’s sad to say, but I believe that without competition or acts of rivalry, life is well DULL. Unchanging. How do you know that something is missing in your life until someone brings it to your attention or someone else begins to offer that very something?

We had television, but now not only do we have CBS, NBC, and ABC, we also have TBS, FOX, WGN, USA, and WGN. Competition brought us CNN (someone that specializes in events all around the world). Competition brought us KODAK, Polaroid, and FUJI film. Competition brought us not only supermarkets, but Supermarket Supercenters. I mean, who would have thought that a grocery store would offer eyeglass services, movie rentals, and travel services? Who would have even thought that a supermarket would house a fast food chain inside the supermarket?

We had McDonalds, but now we have Burger King and Wendy’s. We had Kentucky Fried Chicken or better known now as KFC and now we have Popeyes. All because of competition. More selections to choose from and competitive pricing as well.

Think about the world or even your own life with competition. Would there be a selection of healthcare services to choose from? Would there be a selection of insurance agencies to choose from? Would some of our employers offer competitive employee benefit packages if there was not some type of rivalry involved or if the need was not there and brought to public awareness?

Without competition, would we have the National Football league, National Basketball league, National Baseball league, or the National Hockey league? Would we have sports at all? I mean, you have to have two teams, two competing teams, an act of rivalry to have a sport. Would there be tennis or even golf? Even in golf, simplistically, just you by yourself, you are competing against your game from the previous time you played. An act in rivalry!

I believe that competition has helped to bring about what might have taken years to come about or might have never been. Competition has improved the lives of us all because it prevents us from entering the lackadaisical mindset. It keeps us on our feet in a constant world of change.

Remember, the next time you hear about competition, Competition is good, it promotes high standards. Sustainable competition is fundamental to development. It is the best means that we have of stimulating choice, innovation, efficiency, better service, lower prices and economic growth to us all. Competition is a view to creating greater choice and diversity for all consumers.