The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday, May 17, edition that two weeks ago, BCE's Bell announced a bid to buy Manitoba Telecom Services. The Globe's guest columnists Dwayne Winseck and Ben Klassif write that if the merger goes through, the communication industry in Manitoba will be radically transformed, and there will be important implications for the rest of Canada as well. The writers say a transaction of this magnitude deserves careful consideration. Some pundits and think-tanks have been quick to support the deal, but a more rational review of the situation is needed. The guest columnists believe the takeover would not be in the best interest of Manitobans, and that it could set a harmful precedent for the rest of the country. Manitobans currently enjoy some of the most affordable prices for wireless service in Canada because MTS acts as an independent competitor to the national carriers. In provinces such as British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, there are no strong rivals for Bell, Rogers and Telus, and monthly rates for popular voice and data plans are $30 to $70 higher. Remove MTS from the equation and Manitobans will likely soon be facing the same steep rates and parsimonious monthly data caps.