-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: [IP] more on The Return of Ma Bell -- AT&T (SBC) to buy BellSouth?] Date: Sun, 05 Mar 2006 09:39:47 -0800 From: Richard Perlman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: David Farber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Lauren Weinstein <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> CC: [email protected]
Dave, Lauren: There is a common misconception expressed in the comments (below) about the breakup and getting back together again of at&t. In 1954 the DoJ filed suit against AT&T for maintaining a vertical monopoly. The basis of the suit was that as the manufacturer of the equipment it used to operate the "Bell System" AT&T was engaging in unfair competition. In 1984, when the anti-trust suit was finally settled, it was the horizontal monopoly that was broken up, not the vertical monopoly. AT&T continued to own Western Electric, Bell Labs and the former "Long Lines." Why did AT&T give up the unchallenged horizontal monopoly? Because they thought they could make a killing in the emerging mini-computer market with their 3B20 systems - a market they had been previously excluded from by regulatory dictate. Ironically, is wasn't much more than 10 years later that AT&T effectively did what the DoJ had tried to do in 1954, when they spun-off the former Western Electric as Lucent Technologies. Even more ironic, this is exactly what Alvin Toffler recommended to AT&T in 1972 as detailed in his book "adaptive Corporation." (See http://books.global-investor.com/books/20897.htm ) So, the real "reconciliation" of AT&T would be for the new at&t to acquire Lucent - and that just is not going to happen. Check out http://www.bellsystemmemorial.com/bellopercomp.html if you are interested in the history of the 'Bell System." Richard On 3/5/06 08:22, "Dave Farber" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: The Return of Ma Bell -- AT&T (SBC) to buy BellSouth? > Date: Sun, 05 Mar 2006 08:16:45 -0800 (PST) > From: Lauren Weinstein <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Dave, > > ... You'll recall the robot cop who was blasted apart into globs > of mercuric metal, that flowed back together to recreate the > original whole. > > That's what's happening now -- with the smiling approval of Congress > and the FCC -- far along the path of resurrecting a new Ma Bell with > powers and influence that will vastly exceed even those of the > original Bell System. ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as [email protected] To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
