major deal.' Why all the hullaballoo over something only marginally less dull than ditchwater? Well, the year is 2003, and what sociologists call the Americanisation of the globe has spread to the European telecommunications sector. In this scenario there are few European players, never mind UK ones, left. A #
 European operator has been able to defeat American competition becomes a headline-grabbing event. It is only a scenario, but it is a likely one. The Americanisation of this European market has been happening for years. Last week, when Global Crossing acquired Racal's telecoms business for &163;1 billion, what had #