Local Service Providers

In addition to incumbent telephone companies, a variety of providers sell local services. These include interexchange carriers, resellers, utilities and agents. A new type of provider, building local exchange carriers, sell services to tenants in office parks and multi-tenant buildings.

AT&T

AT&T has been transformed from “Ma Bell,” the telecommunications giant with 330,000 employees in 1995 to a company with 160,000 employees, decreasing long distance revenues, strong cellular sales and massive debt in April 2001.

Background

After AT&T was divested of the local incumbent Bell Operating Companies (BOCs) in 1984, it retained units that sold voice and data communications and switching equipment. Their equipment divisions ...

Get Essential Guide to Telecommunications, The, Third Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.