As of press time, I was still waiting. The jury is still out on Sympatico. It is obvious that they have many problems to overcome. Their distribution locations alone will no doubt secure them a permanent space among the top Internet providers in Canada. What is unfortunate in all of this is, the hundreds of small businesses that have established the Internet in Canada by investment of their own money, time and entrepreneurial spirit may suffer because of Bell's move into this unregulated field.
Some hope does exist however.
Once Sympatico users become educated and realize that the same level of service and reliability are available elsewhere for less, many will likely go where there is less strain on their wallets. This should, however, be interpreted as a warning to independent service providers, rather than simple reassurance. They will have to increase the reliability of their services if they wish to remain competitive. Also, a thorough examination of customer service and technical support may be required by many smaller providers if they hope to compete with Sympatico.