Except where Videotron operates, there is absolutely no reason for Bell to reduce its local telephone rates; the same is true for Telus. Rogers and Cogeco provide essentially the same service as Bell, at essentially the same prices. Shaw provides essentially the same services at the same prices as Telus. Bell, Telus and Rogers lived through the long-distance price wars. The lesson learned in that market has already been applied to the high-speed Internet and cellular markets. We have not seen price competition nor have we seen a great deal of service innovation in either of those markets. Unfortunately, the deregulation of the local telephone market will not produce any different results. At best, customers that have already taken cable company telephone service will be offered lower rates from Bell (the calls will come around dinner time). We can't criticize the telephone companies. They are only acting on their own best interests and those of their shareholders. Right now, reducing local telephone rates is contrary to the interests of both the telephone companies and cable companies, and is likely to stay that way. The best hope that we had for full-scale local telephone service competition was for companies like Primus, Comwave and Vonage to gain market share and force the large competitors to react by offering cool IP-based features at reduced prices. The deregulation announcement will chill plans by new companies to enter the market or for existing small companies to expand. Instead of promoting competition, the government has succeeded in creating a duopoly for local telephone service - an unregulated duopoly at that. The government hasn't said anything about foreign investment. If the Canadian ownership rules were lifted, it is possible that more aggressive US owners would introduce us to more meaningful competition.