For whom the bell tolls
February 6, 2007Okay, the phone company that serviced most of the south when I was growing up was South Central Bell, which before the breakup of the telephone monopoly was a division of AT&T. At some point South Central Bell was renamed BellSouth.
My first cellular telephone from many, many moons ago was through BellSouth Mobility, a division of BellSouth. At some point, BellSouth Mobility was spun off into its own division called Cingular Wireless.
You dig so far?
Cingular Wireless purchased AT&T Wireless and became the largest provider of wireless networks with the most customers. This company retained the name Cingular.
In the meantime, SBC Corporation (a company comprised of some of the old western Bell companies from the breakup of AT&T) purchased what remained of AT&T. They named this “new” company AT&T.
Recently it’s been announced that BellSouth and AT&T will merge. The surviving name will be AT&T. Cingular will be renamed AT&T Wireless.
Okay, so in the span of 20 some odd years we’ve gone from breaking up the AT&T monopoly to the formation of a bigger, stronger AT&T. (Though not technically the same company, I suppose, they darned sure kept the name.) This means AT&T will once again be providing the land line and wireless phone service in my area.
It’s no wonder I don’t know whether to scratch my watch or wind my ass…
My first job out of college was as a Customer Service Rep for AT&T. The person at the other end of the 800 # you call to bitch about your bill…. never have I hated life more than during the 2 years I worked for AT&T!
The hierarchy that is in place within that company still amazes me, whenever I think of Orwell’s 1984, I always think of AT&T.
I am totally suspect whenever the government and big corporations collude to “de-regulate” with the spin that it will “foster competition to the benefit of the consumer”. Hogwash! The whole break-up of ATT & others was a smoke screen. We’re back where we are, only with far worse service and far higher prices.
I had ATT cellphones for about 4 years until I woke up to smell the coffee they were brewing. I will use paper cups and string before I go back to ATT/Cingular – whatever they are calling themselves this month.
Grrr……
Well, now I’m confused LOL. I found you by chance as I was in the directory, and said to myself “I know Brad73″ LOL