The day after tomorrow is turkey day, and I have been trying to read some online things but I keep getting distracted.
One article I found on Investopedia is about at&t, as its logo is now spelled, but was known as AT&T for more than a century. The article gives a bit of at&t’s history as it quickly skips by many important setbacks. The article fails to mention the first antitrust action the government took against AT&T in 1949. Then in 1947 when the transistor was invented, Ma Bell could have had a monopoly on this patented groundbreaking device, but due to its concern about another government intervention, decided to license the transistor to any company for a relatively small fee. If it wasn’t for this, all of the technology that has made today’s computers possible would have been set back for decades.
Another AT&T setback was the Carterfone decision. This allowed other companies to connect equipment to AT&T telephone lines without AT&T’s equipment and subsequent high rental costs. That is how the personal computer modems became usable on the telephone network. Before this they were not allowed.
But the major financial setback was when AT&T had to declare bankruptcy as its long term debts and old, outdated technology weighed it down. After that, SBC got its assets and name, to become what it is today.
The last paragraph says:
” The Bottom Line
AT&T has enjoyed one of the most successful runs in the history of American business, yet still manages to stay technologically up-to-date, relevant and vital. That’s tough for any company to pull off, but any one that does can assure itself of huge profits for the foreseeable future.”
I worked as a computer and telephone technician for decades and almost all of that time our college was a customer of AT&T and/or one of its baby bells. I know from experience that it is tough when a public agency has to deal with a single vendor with no competition. The adversities that Ma Bell had to go through have allowed us to have the electronics and networks that allow us to do so many things today.