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... parts of public utilities, infrastructure; where it's just natural, efficient, lowers costs; and in return for servicing virtually whole of the population, also unprofitable parts, with stable prices.
Or spectrum, in a way - otherwise it would probably end up in mafia-like web of extortions and/or who can build the more powerful transmitters (or, really, jammers - so going back to extortions). Maybe also financial exchanges.
Or in general, network effects can be and are beneficial, especially where the infrastructure involved is very costly.
Properly regulated of course - EU fines are part of the process, that's this "separate thing" that I mentioned.
(yeah, sure, I sorta can do business with another power company and such ...but, really, this is just procedural cloak, hiding the nature of the situation, as part of those regulatory activities)




Member since:
2005-07-06
There is nothing strictly wrong with monopolies (they are indeed natural and sensible in some areas).
Abuses of monopolies (or ~cartels) are a separate thing - and what's the basis of such EU fines (mostly hitting European companies BTW).