After waking up this morning, I followed my normal routine during the NBA playoffs: I gave kisses to Erin and the kids and then checked out NBA.com.

After arriving at my appointed Internet destination, I saw that the Lakers were still playing the Jazz. There was about 8 minutes left to go in the fourth quarter, I believe. So I turned on my Slingplayer (which is how I watch live TV over here in Turkey) in order to check out the game. For I really enjoy watching the NBA playoffs live. Recorded I am just not into.

So there I am, all excited to watch a solid fourth quarter battle between one of the best teams in the league and another fighting to keep its season alive. And what happens, but my Internet slows to a crawl, even to the point where my 5 and 3 year old take note and declare: “Our Internet is not working Dad?” Yea, I know, thanks for rubbing it in.

Instinctively my thoughts drift to the beauty of competition, not, however, in the basketball area, but in the business world. For you see, where I am right now there is more or less one company to whom you can turn to get half-decent Internet. And that company only recently sold half its shares to a private group of individuals. Before that time it was owned entirely by the government. So it more or less has a monopoly. Yes, there are a few small companies trying to get in, but they are not worth turning to as of yet (plus, they have to use all the big company’s equipment).

For what I am paying here, I could be enjoying some sweet FIOS back in the States. But why? It’s because there is ample competition to drive prices down and quality up. Entry into the telecommunications market isn’t very difficult in the States. There is money to be made and anyone who is willing and able can more or less get in, so more people get in and everyone is better for it. We enjoy lover prices and higher quality. But not so here and in much of the world.

I say all of this not to complain (though I am sure there is some of that in me), but to remind us all how great it is to have people competing for our business. Sure, I get a little tired of the advertisements and keeping track of the latest and greatest offers known to man, but in the end, it is a whole lot better than paying 60 a month for Internet that goes in and out and sometimes slows to a crawl. Free competition is a good thing, so let’s give thanks for it.

In all fairness, I must say that after resetting my Modem, the speed did pick up a bit and I was able to enjoy the end of the game. But my point still stands, because the service still isn’t worth writing about (unless you have to say what I have said here).

The simplest and most insightful book I have read on Economics is Thomas Sowell’s Basic Economics. It’s a thick one, but if you take it little by little, it is well worth the read.