Remember the big Verizon-Alltel merger that went through about a month ago? Verizon swallowed up the smaller cell provider, absorbing most of its user base. Here in the U.S. we get nervous when companies start to get too big and powerful, especially as they get rid of the competition, so there were some provisions in the merger agreement to help allay those fears.

Verizon has to sell off some of its resources in areas where it's taking on Alltel's old business, offloading technology, infrastructure, and some subscribers to its competitors. All told, the accounts of around two million subscribers are on the line. The obvious intent here is to try and offset the loss of one cell company competing with Verizon by beefing up the remaining ones. In the latest twist, AT&T has joined the bidders for the $3 billion in Verizon assets up for sale.

Whichever regulators thought this forced sale would help stimulate the industry must be kicking themselves now, as the move is only helping to narrow down competition. AT&T would rise to about 80 million subscribers after picking up these new assets, bringing it back to almost level competition with Verizon. Sure, there's still Sprint Nextel, with around 54 million customers, but that's not much in the way of choice. Do you feel like like whatever competition's left is keeping rates from going even higher, or is a choice from only three options not giving you any better options than a monopoly would?

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