You want fries with that?...

Or, is IMS short for Internet McDonalds System?
McDonalds make hamburgers, and a few other things, but one of the amazing things about McDonalds is its ability to make a hamburger taste the same in Argentina as it does in Zambia (I didn't check if they are in Zambia, yet)
Now here is real QoS, I can be sure that what I get is pretty much what I pay for - so long as I want a hamburger! They have SLAs too, where I can hit the button and if my hamburger and fries are not delivered within 1 minute, I get a voucher for money off my next purchase (of ice cream!? - SLA as an upsell tool :)
McDonalds control everything in order to get the experience right for the final burger. They don't sell food for anyone else.
Recently they have been introducing products that are specific to local markets, but these are almost never rolled out globally. The product mix is typically simple and it fulfills a simple need.
IMS should enable operators to build a McDonalds menu of services where the burger always has the same taste, the fries are always thin'n'crispy and it's always delivered in under 2 minutes. Some people will love it.
But what if McDonalds was sold as an upscale restaurant? Would you go to McDonalds if it cost more than a local restaurant? I remember being in Poland in '96 where people were having business dinners in McDonalds; I somehow doubt that is the case 10 years later!
McDonalds scales, and that's what gives it the edge over the niche suppliers.
It is unlikely that internet access will be controlled by a small group of suppliers, anymore than all food outlets being controlled by McDonalds, BK, Taco Bell etc (though sometimes, when I am in the US, I am not so convinced!)
As with food, consumers will be free to choose the services they want from which suppliers. Sometimes the local flavour will be better, sometimes the big brand.
In the world of telecommunications, there is space for everyone, it's just about getting the target market right.
"Would you like Voice with that, sir?"