dcferguson@pacbell.net declared for all the world to hear...
> > Removes competition between operators, who would not need to expand
> > coverage.

> I don't see why. In the USA most wireless carriers' contract plans
> commonly allow roaming on other carriers' networks at no additional
> charge when the home network has no coverage (PAYG is a little more
> hit-and-miss).

There is a huge difference in physical area between the USA and the UK.
In the USA for one carrier to cover the entire USA would require a
multi-billion dollar investment in infrastructure. In countries where it
would not be viable for one company to cover it all then national
roaming is a must.

India is another example. Massive landmass to cover, many small
operators covering bits of the country.

> In the UK there are only a few carriers, and all of them are potential direct
> competitors everywhere, so I guess there's a lot less incentive to do
> deals with each other.

You just contradicted your first statement!
--
Regards
Jon