Ma Bell returns?
 

Interesting business news that AT&T is going to buy Bellsouth, forming a communications giant that will cover the entire southern 1/2 of the nation plus much of the midwest. Still not the orig. Bell System, but darn close to it considering who the companies are that have merged/aquired to become the newest AT&T; much of the orig. Bell System.

So now customers should be able to one-stop shop for all of their communication needs - local and long distance, internet and broadband, wireless, and pay TV on it's way. Hmmm...seems some 20 odd years ago that there was a company trying to do the same thing, we should catch back up to '84 in a year or so..

I work for one of the major phone companys, the biggest one. I was there when we where one big giant. Over the past 5 yrs I've seen this trend. Little by little they are all merging and only a matter of time before it will be one big monopoly again.

More work for us. Fine by me. My branch's biggest client right now is AT&T. ;)

Cha-ching.

In the telecom industry; all of your base belong to us.

Reminds me of the scene in Terminator, where he gets blown to bits, and all of the pieces flow back together to coalesce back together. How long until they broken up again?

Re: Ma Bell returns?
 

In '84 it was pretty much about dial tone. Times have changed (see Skype thread). Cable does phone, phone will do video, it's a very different world.

Also, it's all good for the consumer. Anyone who pays attention to their bills knows that phone bills have been steadily coming down for years - competition at work.

Cable companies are doing their best to block the phone companies from getting in to Video - I wonder why? I know I won't pay $50/mo for that Comcastic Crap I currently have when AT&T rolls out a better package for less money.

ATT = Allen and two techs

It will not be easy for Allen and his two techs to have the kind of monopoly they had back in the old days.

It probably wont go back to one single company but I seriously think it will be only two. The smaller "Baby Bells"just cant compete against the large companies and are better off merging with them. Plus, cell phones have pretty much destroyed the landline market.