[a1369209993]

> the electricity provider

I think the point is that there are other electricity providers in other areas, so monopoly rules don't apply.

Their electric service is their monopoly, sure, but if you don't want to use company A electricity you are not barred from buying a house somewhere else, with a different electric service.

This is different than, e.g. saying that there is a monopoly with the app store. If you don't want to use Apple for that, you have absolutely no access to iPhone software at all.

[saganus]

For me at least, I think the effort and expense of buying a house and moving elsewhere is quite a bit higher than using another phone/app store.

However I do understand that for a lot of people, moving from Apple to Android (and vice versa) is not as easy or straightforward to do, and thus why perhaps the discussion should be about regulating those companies that hold so much power, as if they were a monopoly. That doesn't make them a monopoly by current definitions though.

[DaiPlusPlus]

Another analogy might be that Comcast don’t have a monopoly on Internet service in an area because you can always use dial-up or tether through your phone.