ternet Fixed rate: 78.90-82.90 + 0.05/minute; unlimited rate: 94.94-99.94 Wireless Bundle Local, long-distance, wireless, and other features Fixed rate: 68.94-72.94 + 0.05/minute; unlimited rate: 84.98-89.98 Dial + Wireless Bundle Local, long-distance, Internet, wireless, and other Fixed rate: 78.89-82.89 + 0.05/minute; features unlimited rate: 89.93-94.93 DSL + Wireless Bundle Local, long-distance, high-speed Internet, wireless, Fixed rate: 113.89-117.89 +0.05/minute; and other features unlimited rate: 124.93-129.93 Qwest Unlimited Long- Distance Plan Unlimited long-distance with monthly fee (for use 30.00 first year; after that, 34.95 with non-Qwest local provider) Preferred Unlimited Unlimited local and long-distance calling with 45.99 first year; after that, 50.99 Qwest Qwest Choice DSL Unlimited local and long-distance calling, unlimited 72.98 first year; after that, 77.98 Qwest Choice Wireless Unlimited local and long-distance calling, choice 80.98 first year; after that, 85.98 of wireless plan Qwest Choice DSL + Wireless Unlimited local and long-distance calling, unlimited 107.97 first year; after that, 112.97 DSL, choice of national wireless plan Source: Company websites, July 26, 2004. Effect of the 1996 Act on Incumbent Local Companies Figure 5-4. RBOC Stock Prices versus Other ILECs Index, February 1996 = 100 Cin'tiBell Citizens RBOCs ALLTEL Source: www.finance.yahoo.com. not a very good performance when the S&P 500 has risen by 50 percent, but it is better than that of most other participants in the world's telecom- munications sector over the past few years. The value of many of those incumbents has declined sharply since 2000, after the meteoric rise of the late 1990s (see chapter 9). The U.S. incumbents-other than Broadwing did not enjoy the sharp increase, but they have not suffered a shattering decline, either. Given their regulatory quarantine, the Bell companies could not engage in the merger spree pursued by the other large U.S. telecommu- nications carriers, namely, WorldCom, Qwest, AT&T, Glo