I would really hate to attempt a correction of even Vic, but my source here (who worked in the mahogany forest at AT&T for quite some time) says the following,
Southern Bell and Pac Bell are SBC. In the merger world, Southern Bell and Pac Bell really don't exist anymore. The merger is strictly between AT&T & SBC. That is still a rumor, but a rumor so heavy that people have begun to make arrangements that it is true. Fullfillment of a self-prophesy? What a great marketing technique! 1. Throw the rumor out to the crowd, 2. Sit back to see how people begin to react. When the market begins to react in a good way for you, it must be the way to go...
