Baby Bell

Any of seven telecommunications companies that were formed from AT&T after its antitrust break-up in 1984. In that year, AT&T was determined to be so large that it violated antitrust law in the United States and it was forced to spin off seven subsidiaries, which became known as the baby bells. Few of the baby bells still exist as independent companies, as most have gone through a series of mergers and acquisitions in the years since.

Baby Bell

One of several integrated-communications providers that were formerly part of AT&T but became independent in 1984 following AT&T's court-ordered divestiture. The seven original Baby Bells were once operating subsidiaries of AT&T that provided local and intrastate long-distance service.

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References in periodicals archive

BellSouth (NYSE: BLS) is the first Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC) to utilize a region-wide, interLATA MPLS backbone enabling the latest evolution of information services and products for its customers.

BELLSOUTH ENERGIZES NETWORK SERVICES WITH MPLS TECHNOLOGY

The second-largest regional Bell operating company is buying the largest cable-TV company, and the largest of the seven regional telcos will acquire a sizeable stake in a smaller but well-positioned cable company.

Two more telcos buy into cable

Michigan marks the 14th state and sixth Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC) territory where Talk America offers all-in-one local and long distance services.

TALK AMERICA'S NEW PHONE SERVICE DEBUTS IN MICHIGAN

For months, Ameritech, the big regional Bell operating company, and Illinois Bell had worked behind closed doors to hammer out a deal with other powerful telephone interests such as the long-distance firms AT&T and MCI as well as independent pay-phone operators and small local telephone companies.

Beating the RBOCs

The first agreement between a Regional Bell Operating Company and PanAmSat for the delivery of streaming video and other Internet content over NET/36 enables U S WEST customers to tap directly into high-quality content.

U S WEST.NET GAINS ACCESS TO CONTENT FROM PANAMSAT'S NET/36

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