In-depth article on Maine\u27s telecommunications market. There are currently 24 t

In-depth article on Maine\u27s telecommunications market. There are currently 24 telephone companies providing local dial-tone service in the state, with Bell Atlantic having 85 percent of the market. There are over 200 companies licensed to provide toll service, most of whom are billing operations taking advantage of the competititon mandated by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, with little or no scrutiny given to their applications by the Federal Communications Commission. Information is given on how to prevent slamming --- the practice of switching a customer\u27s long distance carrier without permission or warning. Maine once had the highest in-state toll rates in the country, coupled with some of the lowest local dial-tone rates. Currently the in-state residential toll rates of 11 long-distance carriers range from 10 cents per-minute during the day to 51 cents. Wayne Jortner, a staff attorney for the state Public Advocate\u27s office, says that as a rule of thumb, anyone paying more than 10 cents a minute should consider switching. The office publishes the useful Rate Watchers Phone Guide. Details