Ever wondered what would happen if you woke up one morning to find that Ofcom and all telecoms regulation had disappeared overnight? Perhaps you were recently whisked away by the ghost of Christmas future only to find a land where mobile operators ran shoddy, inefficient monopolies, markets were stagnant and service was unreliable. Or then again perhaps it was the utopia you always dreamed of.

According to the Economist no such wishful thinking is necessary as all free-market enthusiasts need do is buy a competitive air fare to the anarchy that is Somalia. With no stable government, no national telecoms company and certainly no regulation (except that of gangs, guns and warlords) the market is flourishing, costs are down and reception is the best in Africa. Price is $0.30 a minute for anywhere on the planet meaning Somalis can keep in contact with the large diaspora community in the western world.

Golis Telecom set up with a $2.7m investment in Chinese equipment and aims for 50,000 subscribers by 2007. They have also diversified into broadband and landlines to stay ahead of the market. Who knows how soon we will see widespread convergence?