USA TODAY: "BELLS DIG IN TO DOMINATE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET REALM"

It's the dark side of the fiber story.

The regional Bell companies have made much of their billion-dollar plans to run broadband networks across the USA. Yet they're also quietly trying to erect hurdles that would make it hard — or expensive — for anyone to compete with them.

Besides municipalities... the Bells are going after their phone rivals, Internet carriers and major metro areas — anyone with an interest in building services that might compete with the Bells.

Critics say the Bells' efforts are an attack on competition and that consumers could be the big losers.

"If municipal governments and others are blocked from entering this market, the vast majority of Americans are going to wind up on the wrong side of the digital divide, because they will be unable to afford high-speed services," says Gene Kimmelman of Consumers Union.

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