What would have happened if the government didn't intervene? Would the electricity companies have eventually put together an agreement to use the same voltage/frequencies standard for mutual benefit? I guess the infrastructure could only have been built by government.,(reply>), To what mutual benefit? They carved out their own little monopolies, and if you're making some of the electronics that people need to buy new versions of whenever they move to your fiefdom, that's much better for business than just agreeing with all the other companies to do something that benefits customers, but loses them money.<br><br>I'll never understand people that want the world to just be run by corporations. Corporations are fundamentally selfish in nature. If they can get away with something which is terrible for the people, but makes them money, they'll do it. They've proven that fact time and time again.