"There are those who suggest that the domestic Canadian market is too small to have two huge competitive carriers."

Of those, 17.5 percent were served by competitive carriers (not the dominant local telephone companies).

Such companies are known as competitive local exchange carriers.

However, it is quite uncommon for competitive carriers to differentiate based on content.

That voracious appetite for capital is one reason so many competitive local carriers are in trouble.

Some analysts and communications executives have been predicting a wave of consolidation among the competitive carriers since last fall.

The prices are up there with AT&T at the high end so some may not prefer them over more competitive carriers.

Ultimately, the two struggling carriers are expected to merge and then seek further alliances to create a competitive global carrier.

Tollbridge gateways were sold to competitive local exchange carriers and cable companies.

The biggest problems turned up in local phone networks - known as competitive local exchange carriers, or Clecs.