Innovation was stifled under the regulated monopoly that was the Bell system. All equipment had to be to Bell system Blue Book and evidently they were loath to add new products. That was bad. What was good with regulation is that the phone companies were required by law to grant service to anyone requesting it. Also there were financial subsidies that made universal service possible.
When wireline was king long distance was the most profitable, so LD subsidized Local service, business service subsidized residential and all of them subsidized rural. Rural service can never pay for itself. If the industry is totally deregulated the rural citizens will have to do without. This included cell service for many because cell service is spotty in less populated areas especially off main roads. Cell providers tend to transmit up and down primary roads.
In many rural parts of Texas there is no broad band internet service other than expensive satellite. This is very expensive and people who cry about net neutrality should be happy they don't have the data limits of this service. 50 bucks for 10 GB a month and then upward from there. No Netflix allowed.
The to tightly controlled regulation of the Bell system was bad and needed to be revamped but the stripping of regulation from any industry has never seemed to do the consumers any favors.
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