Hi Harold,

Interesting !! I suspected it was coming !!

Typo in first post. Was 1984 not 1986 on breakup.

I think I could write a book on this.

ATnT [hate typeing the & sign, Same for Snp] !!

ATnT was "the phone company" prior to 1/1/84. They did some "good things" Bell labs for example. Invented transistor, created UNIX and the C programming language among many other notable contributions to the world at large.

BUTTTTT as Trades would type, things got out of control !!!!

Or, better stated, ATnT had "all the control" before the breakup !!

Phone costs were out of control, line charges were out of sight. After the breakup and the competing LD carriers coming on line - MCI, Sprint, ITT USTS, things really began to change.

ATnT held on to the long distance network, but the competing carriers installed fiber at a rapid rate "remember the Sprint 'pin drop' ads ??".

All of that put that giant monopoly where they belonged ... But didn't kill the mentality ... Now they are back and will be the New Monopoly of the Wireless age !!!

Just look at that Apple Iphone deal as sole carrier !! Thankfully that crapped out and Verizon got their foot in. ATnT had already put data transmission caps in place.

We put a "Cingular cell antenna" on the mountain at MRG (leaving out the details) for needed cell coverage. ATnT bought them out and now if you are not an ATnT customer you cannot gain cell access via our antenna !!!! That is certainly changing !!!! We have Verizon installing an antenna.

I don't know what it will take to keep ATnT under control this time around, but I can assure you nothing that they do will be "good for your piggy bank" !!!

Lee