The benefits of releasing the Bell companies from the interexchange restrictions

Consumers will benefit substantially if the Modification of Final Judgment (MFJ) will release the regional Bell operating companies (RBOCs) from the interexchange services restrictions effected at the time of the AT&T 1984 divestiture. Within the decade after the divestment, state and federal regulations were developed to safeguard anticompetitive actions in the interexchange market. At present, the unregulated market shows no such behavior among the telephone companies. In fact, the release of the RBOCs from the restrictions will foster competitiveness.