Competition, they say, is a system of seeking commercial advantage, and there is no commercial advantage in serving remote or low-income areas. But competition and universal access can co-exist. In the United States we do this through a universal service support system, to which every competitor contributes proportionately. Clearly, a regulator needs the support of the nation's leaders to create such a system, but once in place, it becomes routine. And then a symbiotic relationship between competition and access develops.
Competition lowers prices and expands service areas, so that more consumers come onto the network.
Once more customers are on the network, competition in all types of services is stimulated. In other words, the more people connected to the network, the greater the business opportunities. This will happen with competition in Hungary. With the introduction of competition, phone rates will come down and Internet access and usage will increase. But in the rush to the future, we must not leave anyone behind.