"We're putting the band back together" AT&T(SBC) and Bell South

[RB TexLa]

ok, SBC and PacBell together, then SBC and AT&T back together, now add Bell South back in.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060305/bs_nm/telecoms_bellsouth_deal_dc

[goclark]

1. And for Joe Average Customer what does it mean? nt

[RB TexLa]

2. Don't know yet

I really haven't researched it well enough. Thing is now there are so many LD and local exchange companies. It's the majors that are getting consolidated, the rest seem to be finding their geographical or positional niche and doing pretty well.

[BrotherBuzz]

5. In San Francisco, we have to rename the ballpark everytime it changes

:shrug:

[SharonAnn]

8. Higher prices, worse service, monopoly, no regulation

[laylah]

10. Anything SBC

is involved with, SUCKS! In the 35 years I have had telephone service, I have never dealt with such incompentence as I have since returning to Illinois and finding SBC has the market locked up :puke:

Jenn

[CrownPrinceBandar]

3. Ma Bell's comin back!...........

Weren't these guys split for a reason?

"The 1984 Bell System divestiture that brought an end to the affiliation branded as the Bell System was the result of a lawsuit alleging illegal practices by the Bell System companies to stifle competition in the telecommunications industry; the lawsuit was brought against it by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). That lawsuit was filed in 1974, and was settled on January 8, 1982, displacing the former restrictions that AT&T and the DOJ had agreed to in 1956 based on a previous anti-trust lawsuit filed by the DOJ in 1949 that alleged that AT&T and its Bell System operating companies were using its near monopoly in telecommunications to attempt to establish allegedly unfair advantage in related technologies, especially the fledgling computer industry."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_System

[Rosemary2205]

4. What concerns me more

is the whole net neutrality thing. Even if the telecoms are big net neutrality and the other equal access laws forces them to give access to little guys.

ma bell got herself slapped for keeping everyone else out. They solved it not just by breaking up the bell but also passing all those equal access laws.

[liberal N proud]

6. It is the time for monopolies again in America

That much quicker to raise prices and alleviate the people of their money. Sinking the middle class into poverty.

[Gman]

7. Ed Whitacre said years ago that he would do it

and we'll all be damned if that's not what he's doing. The only "Baby Bells" left will be US West and the old Nynex and Bell Atlantic. Of course Nynex and Bell Atlantic merged with General Telephone and formed Verizon several years ago now. It'll be interesting to see if Whitacre merges them in too. He may not have the regularatory climate to complete it in a couple of years.

[sarcasmo]

9. Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones.

With a cable modem you can complete the death of the Mega landline phone company. My wife and I have cell phones and only cell phones, no home phone, we have eliminated the outdated home phone.

[goclark]

11. I'm going to have to look into that angle nt