@fribbledom
the main thing is that companies have long understood that they can make "gentlemens' agreements" to become monopolies in certain areas, and so they have. most competing companies are owned by one single one, and while there are others to fill any given niche they're usually located outside enough that people only have one choice. it may have been the internet, i know providers met up to divide the country so they could charge whatever they want for bad service