If they manage to form a new monopoly, I want to see a new Bell Labs
AT&T announced this weekend that they will be purchasing BellSouth for $67 billion. (Light Reading)
The pieces of the original AT&T system continue to reassemble. (AT&T was recently purchased by SBC, which was Southwest Bell merged with Pacific Bell). The companies declare that this will not reduce competition:
“Since AT&T and BellSouth are not actual competitors in the local, long distance and video markets, and because BellSouth is not a significant competitor with AT&T in the enterprise market, the merger will not reduce competition in any of those markets”
If we end up seeing the return of monopolistic carrier practices, I hope they think to fund something like the original Bell Labs while they’re at it.
More from Om Malik.
Tags: att, bellsouth, business, mergers
