All's not quiet on the Western front

Local loop competition continues to intensify as the number of public utilities companies continue to increase in the Western states. Among the companies which have recently received approval to operate in the West include Electric Lightwave Inc., Brooks Fiber and MFS Communications Company Inc. Public service commissions and local authorities have already passed a legislation authorizing competition to eliminate the problems and issues related to number portability, pricing and rate structure.
As competition has encroached on local exchange carriers' territories, mast of the attention has focused on high-population density states such as New York, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Now rural Western states [...]