Free market for telecommunications

To the editor:

Your recent article on telecom legislation before the Missouri Legislature was of great interest to my family, friends and neighbors.

As a longtime resident, I am delighted to report that Scott City is the choice site for several new businesses and companies, and there are more to come. These new businesses should have access to the same advantages as Cape Girardeau and metropolitan areas. Our family members have worked in the communications industry for more than 50 years collectively, so I am aware of how expensive the investment in this technology is for the companies involved. However, unless policies change with the times, towns like Scott City and other smaller communities will not realize the benefit from such investment.

With wireless technology now being a very real part of the competitive landscape in Missouri and across the country, I implore Missouri lawmakers to pass the necessary legislation to reflect these changes. My neighbors and I want and deserve access to DSL, and if I don't like the prices that SBC or other companies charge for their services, I can choose to leave them and go with another. That's how the free market operates.

I applaud our Missouri legislature for addressing these issues that can and will bring new employment opportunities and investments in our state.

GLENDELLA MAY

Scott City