A public utility is a company that maintains the infrastructure for a public service. Public utilities often involve natural monopolies, and as a result are often government monopolies, or if privately owned, treated as specially regulated sectors. Public utilities can be privately owned or publicly owned. Publicly owned utilities include cooperative and municipal utilities. Municipal utilities may actually include territories outside of city limits or may not even serve the entire city. Cooperative utilities are owned by the customers they serve. They are usually found in rural areas. Private utilities, also called investor owned utilities, are owned by investors. Unlike public companies, private utilities may be listed on the stock exchange. Private, in this context, means not owned by the public or the government.

In poorer developing countries, public utilities are often limited to wealthier parts of major cities, as used to be the case in developed countries in the nineteenth century.

Examples of utilities are:

• Electric Utility, which in some instances can be Electric power transmission or electricity distribution
• Drinking water purification and distribution
• Sewage treatment and disposal
• Other waste disposal
• Natural gas distribution
• District heat generation and distribution
• Public transport by bus, train, etc.
• Cable television and telephone lines

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HP's first 13.3-inch Pavilion vs. the competition
Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:34:18 -0700
HP is shipping its first laptop with a 13.3-inch widescreen display. The HP Pavilion dv3500t series is already available on HP's site starting at $1,000, and a slightly higher-end configuration, the dv3520nr, is available for pre-order at Best Buy for $1,200. Other sites have reported that this model will be...
HP's first 13.3-inch Pavilion vs. the competition
Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:34:18 -0700
HP is shipping its first laptop with a 13.3-inch widescreen display. The HP Pavilion dv3500t series is already available on HP's site starting at $1,000, and a slightly higher-end configuration, the dv3520nr, is available for pre-order at Best Buy for $1,200. Other sites have reported that this model will be...
HP's first 13.3-inch Pavilion vs. the competition
Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:34:18 -0700
HP is shipping its first laptop with a 13.3-inch widescreen display. The HP Pavilion dv3500t series is already available on HP's site starting at $1,000, and a slightly higher-end configuration, the dv3520nr, is available for pre-order at Best Buy for $1,200. Other sites have reported that this model will be...
A new mystery: What's Microsoft got up its Office Live sleeve?
Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:22:06 -0700
It sounds like Microsoft has yet another Professional Developers Conference PDC announcement percolating -- beyond the Windows 7, Oslo, cloud OS (Red Dog/Zurich) and Mesh Platform stuff about which the company already has been dropping hints. by Mary Jo Foley
A new mystery: What's Microsoft got up its Office Live sleeve?
Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:22:06 -0700
It sounds like Microsoft has yet another Professional Developers Conference PDC announcement percolating -- beyond the Windows 7, Oslo, cloud OS (Red Dog/Zurich) and Mesh Platform stuff about which the company already has been dropping hints. by Mary Jo Foley
A new mystery: What's Microsoft got up its Office Live sleeve?
Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:22:06 -0700
It sounds like Microsoft has yet another Professional Developers Conference PDC announcement percolating -- beyond the Windows 7, Oslo, cloud OS (Red Dog/Zurich) and Mesh Platform stuff about which the company already has been dropping hints. by Mary Jo Foley

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