AT&T
Encyclopedia
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony
Mobile telephony
Mobile telephony is the provision of telephone services to phones which may move around freely rather than stay fixed in one location. Mobile phones connect to a terrestrial cellular network of base stations , whereas satellite phones connect to orbiting satellites...
and fixed telephony
Telephony
In telecommunications, telephony encompasses the general use of equipment to provide communication over distances, specifically by connecting telephones to each other....
in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband
Broadband Internet access
Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just "broadband", is a high data rate, low-latency connection to the Internet— typically contrasted with dial-up access using a 56 kbit/s modem or satellite Internet with inherently high latency....
and subscription television services. , AT&T is the 7th largest company in the United States by total revenue, as well as the 4th largest non-oil company in the US (behind Walmart, General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
and Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
). It is the 3rd largest company in Texas by total revenue (behind ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
and ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips Company is an American multinational energy corporation with its headquarters located in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas in the United States...
) and the largest non-oil company in Texas. It is also the largest company headquartered in Dallas. In 2011, Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
listed AT&T as the 14th largest company in the world by market value and the 9th largest non-oil company in the world by market value. It is the 21st largest mobile telecom operator in the world with over 100.7 million mobile customers.
The company began its existence as Southwestern Bell Corporation, one of seven Regional Bell Operating Companies created in 1983 as part of the break-up of the original AT&T
Bell System divestiture
The Bell System divestiture, or the breakup of AT&T, was initiated by the filing in 1974 by the U.S. Department of Justice of an antitrust lawsuit against AT&T. The case, United States v...
due to the United States v. AT&T
United States v. AT&T
United States v. AT&T was the antitrust case in the United States that led to the 1984 Bell System divestiture, the breakup of the old American Telephone & Telegraph into the new, seven regional Bell operating companies s and the much smaller new AT&T.In the 1970s, the Federal Communications...
antitrust
Antitrust
The United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
lawsuit. It changed its name to SBC Communications Inc. in 1995. In 2005, it purchased its former parent company, AT&T Corporation
American Telephone & Telegraph
AT&T Corp., originally American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American telecommunications company that provides voice, video, data, and Internet telecommunications and professional services to businesses, consumers, and government agencies. AT&T is the oldest telecommunications company...
, and took on its branding, with the merged entity naming itself AT&T Inc. and using the iconic AT&T logo and stock-trading symbol.
The current AT&T reconstitutes much of the former Bell System and includes ten of the original 22 Bell Operating Companies along with one it partially owned (Southern New England Telephone), and the original long distance division
AT&T Communications
AT&T Communications - East, Inc. was a holding company for the 23 subsidiaries that provide interexchange carrier and long distance telephone services owned by AT&T.-AT&T Long Lines:...
. The company is headquartered in downtown
Downtown Dallas
Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District in Dallas, Texas USA, located in the geographic center of the city. The area termed "Downtown" has traditionally been defined as bounded by the downtown freeway loop: bounded on the east by I-345 Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District...
Dallas, Texas.
1984–1995: Southwestern Bell Corporation
American Telephone and Telegraph Company officially transferred full ownership of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company to Southwestern Bell Corporation on January 1, 1984. It had three other subsidiaries: Southwestern Bell Publications, Inc., a directory publisher; Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, Inc., in the business of mobile telephone service; and Southwestern Bell Telecommunications, Inc., focusing on marketing phone equipment to business customers. The holding companies' new president was Zane Edison Barnes.In 1987, SBC bought Metromedia Inc.'s cellular and paging business. This in turn boosted the company to third largest cellular-communications company in the United States; behind McCaw Cellular and Pacific Telesis. In January 1990 Edward Whitacre took over as president of Southwestern Bell. The Headquarters was moved from St. Louis to San Antonio, Texas in February 1993. It acquired 2 cable companies in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
from Hauser Communications for 650 million dollars, becoming the first regional Bell telephone company to acquire a cable company outside of its service area. In 1994 they called off a $1.6 billion acquisition attempt for 40 percent of Cox Cable
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
due to FCC rules on cable companies. SBC would later start selling its current cable company interests.
1995–2000: Changes in the company
In 1996 SBC announced it would acquire Pacific Telesis Group, a Regional Bell Operating Company
Regional Bell Operating Company
The Regional Bell Operating Companies are the result of United States v. AT&T, the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust suit against the former American Telephone & Telegraph Company . On January 8, 1982, AT&T Corp. settled the suit and agreed to divest its local exchange service operating...
(RBOC) in California and Nevada. 1997 brought rumors of a proposed merger between AT&T Corporation (the USA's largest long distance provider) and SBC (the USA's largest local provider). The FCC disapproved of the merger, and it came to end. Later in 1997 SBC sold its last two cable companies, exiting the cable telecom field.
January 1998, SBC announced it would take over Southern New England Telecommunications Corp. (SNET) for $4.4 billion in stock (the FCC would approve in October 1998). SBC also won a court judgment that would make it easier for RBOCs to enter the long distance phone service, but it was being challenged by AT&T and the FCC. May 1998 Ameritech and SBC announced a $62 billion dollar merger, in which SBC would take over Ameritech. After making several organizational changes (such as the sale of Ameritech Wireless
Ameritech Cellular
Ameritech Mobile Communications, LLC was the first company in the United States to provide cellular mobile phone service to the general public. Cell service became publicly available in Chicago on October 13, 1983...
to GTE
GTE
GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System....
) to satisfy state and federal regulators, the two merged on October 8, 1999. The FCC later fined SBC Communications $6 million for failure to comply with agreements made in order to secure approval of the merger. SBC became the largest RBOC until the Bell Atlantic and GTE merger. 1998 revenues were $46 billion, placing SBC among the top 15 companies in the Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
.
January 1999 SBC announced it would purchase Comcast Cellular, for $1.7 billion, plus $1.3 billion of debt. During 1999 SBC continued to prepare to be allowed to provide long distance phone service. February SBC acquired up to ten percent of Williams Companies' telecommunications division for about $500 million, who was building a fiber optic network across the country and would carry SBC's future service. On November 1, 1999, SBC became a part of the Dow Jones Industrial Average
Dow Jones Industrial Average
The Dow Jones Industrial Average , also called the Industrial Average, the Dow Jones, the Dow 30, or simply the Dow, is a stock market index, and one of several indices created by Wall Street Journal editor and Dow Jones & Company co-founder Charles Dow...
.
2000–2005: One national brand, AT&T Corp. acquisition
In 2002, SBC ended marketing its operating companies under different names, and simply opted to give its companies different doing business asDoing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
names based on the state (a practice already in use by Ameritech
Ameritech
AT&T Teleholdings, Inc., formerly known as Ameritech Corporation , was a U.S. telecommunications company that arose out of the 1984 AT&T divestiture. Ameritech was one of the seven Regional Bell Operating Companies that was created following the breakup of the Bell System...
since 1993), and it gave the holding companies it had purchased d/b/a names based on their general region.
On January 31, 2005, SBC announced that it would purchase AT&T Corporation
AT&T Corporation
AT&T Corp., originally American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American telecommunications company that provides voice, video, data, and Internet telecommunications and professional services to businesses, consumers, and government agencies. AT&T is the oldest telecommunications company...
for more than US$16 billion. The announcement came almost eight years after SBC and AT&T (also known as American Telephone & Telegraph Corp.) called off their first merger talks and nearly a year after initial merger talks between AT&T Corp. and BellSouth
BellSouth
BellSouth Corporation is an American telecommunications holding company based in Atlanta, Georgia. BellSouth was one of the seven original Regional Bell Operating Companies after the U.S...
fell apart. AT&T stockholders meeting in Denver, approved the merger on June 30, 2005. The U.S. Department of Justice cleared the merger on October 27, 2005, and the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
approved it on October 31, 2005.
The merger was finalized on November 18, 2005. Upon the completion of the merger, SBC Communications adopted the AT&T branding, and changed its corporate name to AT&T Inc. to differentiate the company from the former AT&T Corporation. On December 1, 2005, the merged company's New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
ticker symbol
Ticker symbol
A stock symbol or ticker symbol is a short abbreviation used to uniquely identify publicly traded shares of a particular stock on a particular stock market. A stock symbol may consist of letters, numbers or a combination of both. "Ticker symbol" refers to the symbols that were printed on the ticker...
was changed from "SBC" to the traditional "T" used by AT&T.
The new AT&T updated the former AT&T's graphic logo (a new "marble" took over the "Death Star"); however the existing AT&T sound trademark
Sound trademark
A sound trademark is a non-conventional trademark where sound is used to perform the trademark function of uniquely identifying the commercial origin of products or services....
(voiced by Pat Fleet
Pat Fleet
Pat Fleet is a working American voice actress known as the registered voice of AT&T.Widely recognized for the tens of thousands of recordings she has made for US telephone companies such as AT&T, Verizon, Qwest, the former Bell System companies, and others since 1981, she is still most recognized...
) continues to be used.
BellSouth acquisition
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) approved the new AT&T's acquisition of a regional Bell Operating Company
Regional Bell Operating Company
The Regional Bell Operating Companies are the result of United States v. AT&T, the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust suit against the former American Telephone & Telegraph Company . On January 8, 1982, AT&T Corp. settled the suit and agreed to divest its local exchange service operating...
, BellSouth
BellSouth
BellSouth Corporation is an American telecommunications holding company based in Atlanta, Georgia. BellSouth was one of the seven original Regional Bell Operating Companies after the U.S...
, valued at approximately $86 billion (or 1.325 shares of AT&T for each share of BellSouth at the close of trading December 29, 2006). The new combined company retained the name AT&T. The deal consolidated ownership of both Cingular Wireless and Yellowpages.com
YELLOWPAGES.COM
YELLOWPAGES.com is an Internet web site operated by YELLOWPAGES.COM LLC which is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T..-History:Both sites' operations were merged into Yellowpages.com in 2005. As a result of SBC Communications' merger with AT&T, the post merger AT&T wholly owned an additional...
, once joint ventures between BellSouth and AT&T. All services, including wireless, became offered under the AT&T name.
Transition to new media
U-Verse
AT&T U-verse is a registered service mark under which AT&T offers Internet access, television, and telephone services in various parts of the United States. It began in 2008 to serve mostly residences and small businesses in urban and suburban areas.-Services:...
, and to extend its reach in high speed Internet
Broadband Internet access
Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just "broadband", is a high data rate, low-latency connection to the Internet— typically contrasted with dial-up access using a 56 kbit/s modem or satellite Internet with inherently high latency....
into rural areas across the country. AT&T announced on June 29, 2007, however, that it was acquiring Dobson Communications
Dobson Cellular
Dobson Cellular Systems, Inc. now part of AT&T Mobility, was a wireless telecommunications provider in several regions of the United States, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia,...
. It was then reported on October 2, 2007 that AT&T would purchase Interwise for $121 million, which it completed on November 2, 2007. On October 9, 2007, AT&T purchased 12 MHz of spectrum in the prime 700 MHz spectrum band from privately held Aloha Partners
Aloha Partners
Aloha Partners LP is a telecommunications company based in Providence, RI. It is the largest owner of 700MHz spectrum in the United States.Aloha Partners LP is and was the largest buyer of spectrum in the FCC auctions of radio frequencies in the 700MHz band in 2001 and 2003...
for nearly $2.5 billion; the deal was approved by the FCC on February 4, 2008. On December 4, 2007 AT&T announced plans to acquire Edge Wireless
Edge Wireless
Edge Wireless LLC was a Mobile phone provider founded in 1999, serving southern Oregon, northern California, southeastern Idaho and Jackson, Wyoming.Edge Wireless's network, currently owned by AT&T, is a 1900 MHz GSM network...
, a regional GSM
Global System for Mobile Communications
GSM , is a standard set developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute to describe technologies for second generation digital cellular networks...
carrier in the Pacific Northwest. The Edge Wireless acquisition was completed in April 2008.
Corporate headquarters move
On June 27, 2008, AT&T announced that it would move its corporate headquarters from 175 East Houston Street in San Antonio to One AT&T PlazaOne AT&T Plaza
Whitacre Tower, also known as One AT&T Plaza, and formerly known as One Bell Plaza and One SBC Plaza, is a 37-story high-rise in Downtown Dallas, located adjacent to the Akard Street Mall....
in Downtown
Downtown Dallas
Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District in Dallas, Texas USA, located in the geographic center of the city. The area termed "Downtown" has traditionally been defined as bounded by the downtown freeway loop: bounded on the east by I-345 Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District...
Dallas. The company said that it moved to gain better access to its customers and operations throughout the world, and to the key technology partners, suppliers, innovation and human resources needed as it continues to grow, domestically and internationally
AT&T Inc. previously relocated its corporate headquarters to San Antonio from St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in 1992, when it was then named Southwestern Bell Corporation. The company's Telecom Operations group, which serves residential and regional business customers in 22 U.S. states, remains in San Antonio.
Atlanta continues to be the headquarters for AT&T Mobility, with significant offices in Redmond, Washington
Redmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....
, the former home of AT&T Wireless
AT&T Wireless Services
AT&T Wireless Services, Inc., founded in 1987 as McCaw Cellular Communications, Inc., and now legally known as New Cingular Wireless Services, Inc., formerly part of AT&T Corp., is a wireless telephone carrier in the United States, based in Redmond, Washington, and later traded on the New York...
. Bedminster
Bedminster Township, New Jersey
Bedminster Township is a Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 8,165....
, New Jersey is the headquarters for the company's Global Business Services group and AT&T Labs. St. Louis continues as home to the company's Directory operations, AT&T Advertising Solutions.
Job cuts
On December 4, 2008, AT&T announced they would be cutting 12,000 jobs due to "economic pressures, a changing business mix and a more streamlined organizational structure".Cellular One acquisition
On June 29, 2007 AT&T announced that they had reached an agreement to purchase Dobson CellularDobson Cellular
Dobson Cellular Systems, Inc. now part of AT&T Mobility, was a wireless telecommunications provider in several regions of the United States, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia,...
, which provided services in the US under the name Cellular One in primarily rural areas. The closing price was $2.8B USD, or $13 per share. AT&T also agreed to assume the outstanding debt of $2.3B USD. The sale completed on November 15, 2007, with market transition beginning December 9, 2007.
Centennial acquisition
On November 11, 2008, AT&T announced a $944 million buyout of Centennial Communications Corp. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval, the approval of Centennial’s stockholders and other customary closing conditions. Welsh, Carson, Anderson & StoweWelsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe
Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe is a private equity investment firm in the United States. Founded in 1979, it has organized 14 limited partnerships with total capital over $16 billion and is currently in the process of raising a new $4 billion private equity fund Welsh, Carson Anderson & Stowe XI...
, Centennial’s largest stockholder, has agreed to vote in support of this transaction. In an attempt to quell regulators, on May 9, 2009 AT&T entered an agreement with Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
to sell off certain existing Centennial service areas in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi for $240 million pending the successful merger of AT&T and Centennial.
Wayport acquisition
On December 12, 2008, AT&T acquired Wayport, Inc.Wayport, Inc.
Founded in 1996, Wayport, Inc. is a Wi-Fi broadband internet access provider, based in Austin, Texas. Wayport provides hotspots in approximately 28,000 locations throughout the United States. Venues include hotels, airports, sports venues, retail chain stores, McDonald's restaurants and...
, a major provider of Internet hotspots
Hotspot (Wi-Fi)
A hotspot is a site that offers Internet access over a wireless local area network through the use of a router connected to a link to an Internet service provider...
in the United States. With the acquisition, AT&T's public Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
deployment climbed to 20,000 hotspots in the United States, the most of any U.S. provider.
Qualcomm spectrum
On December 20, 2010, AT&T and QualcommQualcomm
Qualcomm is an American global telecommunication corporation that designs, manufactures and markets digital wireless telecommunications products and services based on its code division multiple access technology and other technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, USA...
announced that AT&T would buy $1.93 billion worth of spectrum from Qualcomm. Formerly used for FLO TV
MediaFLO
MediaFLO is a technology developed by Qualcomm for transmitting audio, video and data to portable devices such as mobile phones and personal televisions, used for mobile television...
, this spectrum will be used to expand AT&T's 4G
4G
In telecommunications, 4G is the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards. It is a successor to the 3G and 2G families of standards. In 2009, the ITU-R organization specified the IMT-Advanced requirements for 4G standards, setting peak speed requirements for 4G service at 100 Mbit/s...
wireless services. AT&T already had spectrum for the purpose close to what it is buying.
Attempted acquisition of T-Mobile USA
On March 20, 2011, AT&T announced its intention to buy T-Mobile USAT-Mobile USA
T-Mobile USA, Inc. is an American mobile-network operator, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, that provides wireless voice, messaging and data services in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company is the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. market with 33.73...
for $39 billion from Deutsche Telekom. The deal comes with 33.7 million subscribers, making AT&T the largest mobile phone company in the United States. If the deal goes through AT&T would have a 43% market share of mobile phones in the U.S. making AT&T significantly larger than any of its competitors. Regulators question the effects such a deal will have on both competitors and consumers. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson however stated that the merger would increase network quality and would lead to large savings for the company. AT&T stated it may have to sell some asset to gain approval from regulators, but state they have done their "homework" on regulations.
Reaction to the announced merger has generated both support as well as opposition among various groups and communities.
The merger has garnered support from a wide number of civil rights, environmental, and business organizations. These include the NAACP, League of United Latin American Citizens
League of United Latin American Citizens
The League of United Latin American Citizens was created to combat the discrimination that Hispanics face in the United States. Established February 17, 1929 in Corpus Christi, Texas, LULAC was a consolidation of smaller, like-minded civil rights groups already in existence...
, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
. Labor organizations such as the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
, Teamsters
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
, and the Communications Workers of America
Communications Workers of America
Communications Workers of America is the largest communications and media labor union in the United States representing about 550,000 members in both the private and public sectors. The union has 27 locals in Canada via CWA-SCA Canada representing about 8,000 members...
also voiced support for the merger. These organizations point to AT&T's commitment to labor, social, and environmental standards. Many of these organizations have also cited how the merger is likely to accelerate 4G wireless deployment, thus helping underserved communities such as rural areas and disadvantaged urban communities. According to the NAACP, the merger will "advance increased access to affordable and sustainable wireless broadband services and in turn stimulate job creation and civic engagement throughout our country."
As of August 2 the governors of 26 states have written letters supporting the merger. On July 27 the attorneys general of Utah, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming sent a joint letter of support to the FCC. As of August 2011 state regulatory agencies in Arizona and Louisiana have approved the acquisition.
A diverse group of industry and public-interest organizations are opposed to AT&T's merger with T-Mobile. Consumer groups including Public Knowledge
Public Knowledge
Public Knowledge is a non-profit Washington, D.C.-based public interest group that is involved in intellectual property law, competition, and choice in the digital marketplace, and an open standards/end-to-end internet....
, Consumers Union
Consumers Union
Consumers Union is a non-profit organization best known as the publisher of Consumer Reports, based in the United States. Its mission is to "test products, inform the public, and protect consumers."...
, Free Press
Free Press (organization)
Free Press is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, national organization working to reform the media in the United States.It was founded in 2002 by media scholar Robert W. McChesney, The Nation contributor John Nichols, and Josh Silver, current CEO of the Democracy Fund, a foundation challenging the influence...
and the Media Access Project
Media Access Project
The Media Access Project is a non-profit group that promotes the public’s interest before Congress and the US court system. MAP grew out of a 1960’s lawsuit against the United Church of Christ and was eventually formed in 1972 in order to advance the rights of the public wanting to participate in...
are publicly opposed to AT&T merger. These groups have influence with Democrats at the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
and in Congress. These organizations fear that the merger will raise prices and stifle innovation by consolidating so much of the wireless industry in one company. Free Press and Public Knowledge have started letter-writing campaigns against the deal.
Internet companies are generally skeptical of the merger because it leaves them with fewer counter-parties to negotiate with for getting their content and applications to customers. The AT&T merger might leave them dependent on just two, AT&T and Verizon. The Computer & Communication Industry Association (CCIA), which counts Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, Yahoo and eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
among its members, is opposed to the merger. "A deal like this, if not blocked on antitrust grounds, is of deep concern to all the innovative businesses that build everything from apps to handsets. It would be hypocritical for our nation to talk about unleashing innovation on one hand and then stand by as threats to innovation like this are proposed," said Ed Black, head of CCIA.
On April 21, 2011, AT&T defended its proposed acquisition of T-Mobile USA before a U.S. Senate committee, saying the combined company will deliver high-speed wireless services to 97 percent of Americans and provide consumer benefits such as fewer dropped calls.
If AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile USA is rejected by federal regulators, AT&T would need to pay $6 billion, including $3 billion in cash, to T-Mobile USA's parent company Deutsche Telekom.
On August 31, 2011, the Department of Justice officially filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to block the acquisition.
On November 30, 2011, the FCC allowed AT&T to withdraw their merger, saving both carriers from divulging documentation about internal operations. The FCC cited job loss and higher consumer prices as reasons to deny the merger.
Bell Operating Companies
- BellSouth TelecommunicationsBellSouth TelecommunicationsBellSouth Telecommunications, LLC is the Bell Operating Company of AT&T that serves the southeastern United States. It absorbed the operations of South Central Bell in 1992....
(formerly known as Southern Bell; includes former South Central BellSouth Central BellSouth Central Bell Telephone Company, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, was the name of the Bell System's operations in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee...
) - Illinois BellIllinois BellIllinois Bell is the name of the Bell Operating Company serving Illinois. It is wholly owned by AT&T.Their headquarters are at 225 West Randolph St., Chicago, IL. After the 1984 Bell System Divestiture, Illinois Bell became a part of Ameritech, one of the 7 original Regional Bell Operating Companies...
- Indiana BellIndiana BellIndiana Bell Telephone Company, Inc., is the Bell Operating Company serving Indiana. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T Inc.After the 1984 Bell System Divestiture, Indiana Bell became a part of Ameritech, one of the 7 original Regional Bell Operating Companies...
- Michigan BellMichigan BellMichigan Bell is the subsidiary of AT&T serving the state of Michigan. Following the Bell System divestiture on January 8, 1982, the company became a subsidiary of Ameritech, the Regional Bell operating company that served the midwestern United States...
- Nevada BellNevada BellNevada Bell Telephone Company, originally Bell Telephone Company of Nevada, was the Bell System's telephone provider in Nevada. It only provides telephone services to 30% of the state, not including Las Vegas, where service is provided by CenturyLink...
(formerly known as Bell Telephone Company of Nevada) - Ohio BellOhio BellThe Ohio Bell Telephone Company is the Bell Operating Company serving most of Ohio. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T.Its headquarters is the Ohio Bell Building at 750 Huron Road, Cleveland, Ohio...
- Pacific BellPacific BellThe Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company was the name of the Bell System's telephone operations in California. It gained in size by acquiring smaller telephone companies along the Pacific coast, such as Sunset Telephone & Telegraph in 1917...
(formerly Pacific Telephone & Telegraph) - Southwestern BellSouthwestern BellSouthwestern Bell Telephone Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. It does business as AT&T Southwest and other d/b/a names in its operating region.The company is currently headquartered in Dallas, Texas at One AT&T Plaza.-History:...
- Wisconsin BellWisconsin BellWisconsin Bell, Inc. is the name of the Bell Operating Company serving Wisconsin. They were a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T Inc.....
(formerly Wisconsin Telephone) - Southern New England Telephone – Now wholly owned; the original AT&TAmerican Telephone & TelegraphAT&T Corp., originally American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American telecommunications company that provides voice, video, data, and Internet telecommunications and professional services to businesses, consumers, and government agencies. AT&T is the oldest telecommunications company...
held 16.8% interest prior to 1984.
Former operating companies
The following companies have gone to defunct status under SBC/AT&T ownership:- Southwestern Bell TexasSouthwestern BellSouthwestern Bell Telephone Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. It does business as AT&T Southwest and other d/b/a names in its operating region.The company is currently headquartered in Dallas, Texas at One AT&T Plaza.-History:...
– a separate operating company created by SBC, absorbed operations of original SWBT on December 30, 2001 and became Southwestern Bell Telephone, L.P.; eventually merged into SWBT Inc. in 2007 which became the current Southwestern Bell - Woodbury TelephoneWoodbury TelephoneThe Woodbury Telephone Company was a telephone company serving Woodbury, Southbury and Bethlehem, Connecticut. It is now owned by AT&T. Woodbury Telephone was acquired by Southern New England Telecommunications in 1997, approximately one year later SNET merged with SBC Communications...
– merged into Southern New England Telephone on June 1, 2007.
Corporate structure
AT&T Inc. has retained the holding companies it has acquired over the years resulting in the following corporate structure:- AT&T Inc., publicly traded holding companyHolding companyA holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
- Southwestern BellSouthwestern BellSouthwestern Bell Telephone Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. It does business as AT&T Southwest and other d/b/a names in its operating region.The company is currently headquartered in Dallas, Texas at One AT&T Plaza.-History:...
Telephone Company d/b/a AT&T Arkansas, AT&T Kansas, AT&T Missouri, AT&T Oklahoma, AT&T Southwest, AT&T Texas - AT&T TeleholdingsAmeritechAT&T Teleholdings, Inc., formerly known as Ameritech Corporation , was a U.S. telecommunications company that arose out of the 1984 AT&T divestiture. Ameritech was one of the seven Regional Bell Operating Companies that was created following the breakup of the Bell System...
, Inc. d/b/a AT&T East, AT&T Midwest, AT&T West; formerly Ameritech, acquired in 1999; absorbed Pacific Telesis and SNET Corp. under AT&T ownership- Illinois BellIllinois BellIllinois Bell is the name of the Bell Operating Company serving Illinois. It is wholly owned by AT&T.Their headquarters are at 225 West Randolph St., Chicago, IL. After the 1984 Bell System Divestiture, Illinois Bell became a part of Ameritech, one of the 7 original Regional Bell Operating Companies...
Telephone Company d/b/a AT&T Illinois - Indiana BellIndiana BellIndiana Bell Telephone Company, Inc., is the Bell Operating Company serving Indiana. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T Inc.After the 1984 Bell System Divestiture, Indiana Bell became a part of Ameritech, one of the 7 original Regional Bell Operating Companies...
Telephone Company d/b/a AT&T Indiana - Michigan BellMichigan BellMichigan Bell is the subsidiary of AT&T serving the state of Michigan. Following the Bell System divestiture on January 8, 1982, the company became a subsidiary of Ameritech, the Regional Bell operating company that served the midwestern United States...
Telephone Company d/b/a AT&T Michigan - The Ohio BellOhio BellThe Ohio Bell Telephone Company is the Bell Operating Company serving most of Ohio. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T.Its headquarters is the Ohio Bell Building at 750 Huron Road, Cleveland, Ohio...
Telephone Company d/b/a AT&T Ohio - Pacific BellPacific BellThe Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company was the name of the Bell System's telephone operations in California. It gained in size by acquiring smaller telephone companies along the Pacific coast, such as Sunset Telephone & Telegraph in 1917...
Telephone Company d/b/a AT&T California- Nevada BellNevada BellNevada Bell Telephone Company, originally Bell Telephone Company of Nevada, was the Bell System's telephone provider in Nevada. It only provides telephone services to 30% of the state, not including Las Vegas, where service is provided by CenturyLink...
Telephone Company d/b/a AT&T Nevada
- Nevada Bell
- The Southern New England Telephone Company d/b/a AT&T Connecticut (includes former Woodbury TelephoneWoodbury TelephoneThe Woodbury Telephone Company was a telephone company serving Woodbury, Southbury and Bethlehem, Connecticut. It is now owned by AT&T. Woodbury Telephone was acquired by Southern New England Telecommunications in 1997, approximately one year later SNET merged with SBC Communications...
) - Wisconsin BellWisconsin BellWisconsin Bell, Inc. is the name of the Bell Operating Company serving Wisconsin. They were a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T Inc.....
, Inc. d/b/a AT&T Wisconsin
- Illinois Bell
- AT&T Corp., acquired 2005
- AT&T AlascomAT&T AlascomAlascom, Inc. d/b/a AT&T Alascom is an Alaskan telecommunications company; specifically, an interexchange carrier . AT&T Alascom is currently a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. AT&T Alascom, previously known as Alascom and many other names, was the first long-distance telephone company in Alaska...
- AT&T Alascom
- BellSouthBellSouthBellSouth Corporation is an American telecommunications holding company based in Atlanta, Georgia. BellSouth was one of the seven original Regional Bell Operating Companies after the U.S...
Corporation d/b/a AT&T South, acquired 2006- BellSouth TelecommunicationsBellSouth TelecommunicationsBellSouth Telecommunications, LLC is the Bell Operating Company of AT&T that serves the southeastern United States. It absorbed the operations of South Central Bell in 1992....
, LLC d/b/a AT&T Alabama, AT&T Florida, AT&T Georgia, AT&T Louisiana, AT&T Kentucky, AT&T Mississippi, AT&T North Carolina, AT&T South Carolina, AT&T Southeast, AT&T Tennessee
- BellSouth Telecommunications
- AT&T Mobility
- Southwestern Bell
Corporate governance
- Randall L. StephensonRandall L. StephensonRandall L. Stephenson is an American business executive.Stephenson replaced Edward E. Whitacre, Jr. as chairman and chief executive officer of AT&T Inc. in 2007. He was senior executive vice president and chief financial officer of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, which he joined in 1982. He...
– Chairman and Chief Executive Officer - James A. HendersonJames A. HendersonJames A. Henderson was Chairman of the Board from 1995 and Chief Executive Officer from 1994 of Cummins Inc. , Columbus, Indiana, until his retirement in December 1999. Mr. Henderson has been a Director of AT&T Inc. since October 1999. He served as a Director of Ameritech Corporation from 1983...
- Gilbert F. Amelio
- Reuben V. Anderson
- James H. Blanchard
- Jaime Chico Pardo
- James P. Kelly
- Jon C. MadonnaJon C. MadonnaJon C. Madonna, retired, was most recently chairman and chief executive officer of KPMG , in New York City. He was with KPMG for 28 years, where he held numerous senior leadership positions throughout his career, including chairman from 1990 to 1996. Subsequent to his retirement from KPMG in 1996,...
- Lynn M. Martin
- John B. McCoyJohn B. McCoyJohn B. McCoy is an American businessman. He served as Chairman from November 1999 and Chief Executive Officer from October 1998 of Bank One Corporation until his retirement in December 1999, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of its predecessor, Banc One Corporation, from 1987 to 1998....
- Joyce M. Roché
- Matthew K. Rose
- Laura D'Andrea Tyson
Contributions to political campaigns
According to the Center for Responsive PoliticsCenter for Responsive Politics
The Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
, AT&T is the US' second largest donor to political campaigns, having contributed more than US$ 36 million since 1990, 56% and 44% of which went to Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
recipients, respectively. A key political issue for AT&T is the question of which businesses win the right to profit by providing broadband internet access in the United States.
In 2005, AT&T was among 53 entities that contributed the maximum of $250,000 to the second inauguration of President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
Wireless service
AT&T has received criticisms for its wireless services. In December 2010, Consumer ReportsConsumer Reports
Consumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. It also publishes cleaning and general buying guides...
named AT&T as the worst wireless provider in the country.
Censorship
In August 2009, the band Pearl JamPearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
performed in Chicago at Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
which was being web-broadcast by AT&T. The band, while playing the song "Daughter", started playing a version of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's "Another Brick in the Wall
Another Brick in the Wall
"Another Brick in the Wall" is the title of three songs set to variations of the same basic theme, on Pink Floyd's 1979 rock opera, The Wall, subtitled Part 1 , Part 2 , and Part 3...
" but with altered lyrics critical of president George Bush. These lyrics included "George Bush, leave this world alone!" and, "George Bush, find yourself another home!". Listeners to AT&T's web broadcast heard only the first line because the rest was censored, although AT&T spokesman Michael Coe said that the silencing was "a mistake."
In September 2007, AT&T changed their legal policy to state that "AT&T may immediately terminate or suspend all or a portion of your Service, any Member ID, electronic mail address, IP address, Universal Resource Locator or domain name used by you, without notice for conduct that AT&T believes"..."(c) tends to damage the name or reputation of AT&T, or its parents, affiliates and subsidiaries." By October 10, 2007 AT&T had altered the terms and conditions for its Internet service to explicitly support freedom of expression by its subscribers, after an outcry claiming the company had given itself the right to censor its subscribers' transmissions.
Section 5.1 of AT&T's new terms of service now reads "AT&T respects freedom of expression and believes it is a foundation of our free society to express differing points of view. AT&T will not terminate, disconnect or suspend service because of the views you or we express on public policy matters, political issues or political campaigns."
On July 26, 2009, AT&T customers were unable to access certain sections of the image board 4chan
4chan
4chan is an English-language imageboard website. Launched on October 1, 2003, its boards were originally used for the posting of pictures and discussion of manga and anime...
, specifically /b/ (the "random" board) and /r9k/ (the "ROBOT 9000" board, a spin-off of the random board). However, by the morning of Monday, July 27, the block had been lifted and access to the affected boards was restored. AT&T's official reason for the block was that a distributed denial of service attack had originated from the img.4chan.org server, and access was blocked to stop the attack. Major news outlets have reported that the issue may be related to DDoSing of 4chan and IP spoofing of 4chan and that the suspicions of 4chan users fell on Kimmo Alm, the person who owned Anontalk.com at that time for doing this. Alm has been reported in the past to have DDoSed 4chan.
Privacy controversy
In 2006, the Electronic Frontier FoundationElectronic Frontier Foundation
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is an international non-profit digital rights advocacy and legal organization based in the United States...
lodged a class action
Class action
In law, a class action, a class suit, or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued...
lawsuit, Hepting v. AT&T
Hepting v. AT&T
Hepting v. AT&T is a United States class action lawsuit filed in January 2006 by the Electronic Frontier Foundation against the telecommunications company AT&T, in which the EFF alleges that AT&T permitted and assisted the National Security Agency in unlawfully monitoring the communications of...
, which alleged that AT&T had allowed agents of the National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
(NSA) to monitor phone and Internet communications of AT&T customers without warrants. If true, this would violate the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 and the First
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
and Fourth Amendments
Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, along with requiring any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause...
of the U.S. Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. AT&T has yet to confirm or deny that monitoring by the NSA is occurring. In April 2006, a retired former AT&T technician, Mark Klein
Mark Klein
Mark Klein is a former AT&T technician who leaked knowledge of his company's cooperation with the United States National Security Agency in installing network hardware to monitor and process American telecommunications...
, lodged an affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
supporting this allegation. The Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
has stated they will intervene in this lawsuit by means of State Secrets Privilege
State Secrets Privilege
The state secrets privilege is an evidentiary rule created by United States legal precedent. Application of the privilege results in exclusion of evidence from a legal case based solely on affidavits submitted by the government stating that court proceedings might disclose sensitive information...
.
In July 2006, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California – in which the suit was filed – rejected a federal government motion to dismiss the case. The motion to dismiss, which invoked the State Secrets Privilege, had argued that any court review of the alleged partnership between the federal government and AT&T would harm national security. The case was immediately appealed to the Ninth Circuit. It was dismissed on June 3, 2009, citing retroactive legislation in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
In May 2006, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
reported that all international and domestic calling records had been handed over to the National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
by AT&T, Verizon, SBC, and BellSouth
BellSouth
BellSouth Corporation is an American telecommunications holding company based in Atlanta, Georgia. BellSouth was one of the seven original Regional Bell Operating Companies after the U.S...
for the purpose of creating a massive calling database
NSA call database
The United States' National Security Agency maintains a database containing hundreds of billions of records of telephone calls made by U.S...
. The portions of the new AT&T that had been part of SBC Communications before November 18, 2005 were not mentioned.
On June 21, 2006, the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
reported that AT&T had rewritten rules on their privacy policy. The policy, which took effect June 23, 2006, says that "AT&T – not customers – owns customers' confidential info and can use it 'to protect its legitimate business interests, safeguard others, or respond to legal process.' "
On August 22, 2007, National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell confirmed that AT&T was one of the telecommunications companies that assisted with the government's warrantless wire-tapping program on calls between foreign and domestic sources.
On November 8, 2007, Mark Klein
Mark Klein
Mark Klein is a former AT&T technician who leaked knowledge of his company's cooperation with the United States National Security Agency in installing network hardware to monitor and process American telecommunications...
, a former AT&T technician, told Keith Olbermann
Keith Olbermann
Keith Theodore Olbermann is an American political commentator and writer. He has been the chief news officer of the Current TV network and the host of Current TV's weeknight political commentary program, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, since June 20, 2011...
of MSNBC that all Internet traffic passing over AT&T lines was copied into a locked room at the company's San Francisco office – to which only employees with National Security Agency clearance had access.
AT&T keeps for five to seven years a record of who text messages who and the date and time, but not the content of the messages.
Intellectual property filtering
In January 2008, the company reported plans to begin filtering all Internet trafficInternet traffic
-Historical Internet Traffic Growth:Because of the distributed nature of the Internet, there is no single point of measurement for total Internet traffic...
which passes through its network for intellectual property violations. Commentators in the media have speculated that if this plan is implemented, it would lead to a mass exodus of subscribers leaving AT&T, although this is misleading as Internet traffic may go through the company's network anyway. Internet freedom proponents used these developments as justification for government-mandated network neutrality
Network neutrality
Network neutrality is a principle that advocates no restrictions by Internet service providers or governments on consumers' access to networks that participate in the Internet...
.
Discrimination against local Public-access television channels
AT&T is accused by community mediaCommunity media
Community media is any form of media that is created and controlled by a community, either a geographic community or a community of identity or interest. Community media is separate from commercial media, state run media, or public broadcasting. The fundamental premise is to engage those groups...
groups of discriminating against local Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access television, refers to three different cable television specialty channels...
(PEG) cable TV channels:, by "imposing unfair restrictions that will severely restrict the audience".
According to Barbara Popovic, Executive Director of the Chicago public-access service CAN-TV
Chicago Access Network Television
Chicago Access Network Television is a Public, educational, and government access cable television service in the Chicago metropolitan area...
, the new AT&T U-verse
U-Verse
AT&T U-verse is a registered service mark under which AT&T offers Internet access, television, and telephone services in various parts of the United States. It began in 2008 to serve mostly residences and small businesses in urban and suburban areas.-Services:...
system forces all Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
into a special menu system, denying normal functionality such as channel numbers, access to the standard program guide, and DVR recording. The Ratepayer Advocates division of the California Public Utilities Commission
California Public Utilities Commission
The California Public Utilities Commission is a regulatory agency which regulates privately owned public utilities in the state of California, including electric power, telecommunications, natural gas and water companies...
reported: "Instead of putting the stations on individual channels, AT&T has bundled community stations into a generic channel that can only be navigated through a complex and lengthy process."
Sue Buske (president of telecommunications consulting firm the Buske Group and a former head of the National Federation of Local Cable Programmers/Alliance for Community Media
Alliance for Community Media
The Alliance for Community Media , previously known as the National Federation of Local Cable Programmers , is an advocacy and lobbying organization in the United States in support of Public, educational, and government access cable tv channels...
) argue that this is "an overall attack [...] on public access across the [United States], the place in the dial around cities and communities where people can make their own media in their own communities".
Information security
In June 2010, a hacker group known as Goatse SecurityGoatse Security
Goatse Security is a loose-knit, nine-person grey hat hacker group that specializes in uncovering security flaws. It is a division of the anti-blogging Internet trolling organization known as the Gay Nigger Association of America . The group derives its name from the Goatse.cx shock site, and it...
discovered a vulnerability
Vulnerability (computing)
In computer security, a vulnerability is a weakness which allows an attacker to reduce a system's information assurance.Vulnerability is the intersection of three elements: a system susceptibility or flaw, attacker access to the flaw, and attacker capability to exploit the flaw...
within the AT&T that could allow anyone to uncover email addresses belonging to customers of AT&T 3G service for the Apple iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
. These email addresses could be accessed without a protective password. Using a script, Goatse Security collected thousands of email addresses from AT&T. Goatse Security informed AT&T about the security flaw through a third party. Goatse Security then disclosed around 114,000 of these emails to Gawker Media
Gawker Media
Gawker Media is an American online media company and blog network, founded and owned by Nick Denton based in New York City. It is considered to be one of the most visible and successful blog-oriented media companies. , it is the parent company for 11 different weblogs: Gawker.com, Fleshbot,...
, which published an article about the security flaw and disclosure in Valleywag
Valleywag
Valleywag was a Gawker Media blog with gossip and news about Silicon Valley personalities. It was initially launched under the direction of editor Nick Douglas in February 2006. After Douglas was fired, the blog was taken over by Owen Thomas. Thomas himself left in May 2009, to be replaced by Ryan...
. Praetorian Security Group criticized the web application that Goatse Security exploited as "poorly designed".
Buildings
- AT&T 220 BuildingAT&T 220 BuildingAT&T 220 Building is a high rise in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was completed in 1974 and has 23 floors. It is primarily used for office space. It is connected with the AT&T Building, which is located just to the north and both buildings house the Indiana headquarters for AT&T.-External links:**...
– building in Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S... - AT&T Building – building in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, MichiganDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
- AT&T BuildingAT&T Building (Indianapolis)AT&T Building is a high rise in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was opened in 1932 and is 22 stories tall. It is primarily used for office space and is the headquarters for AT&T in Indiana. The AT&T Building is connected with the AT&T 220 Building, which is located just to the south...
– building in Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S... - AT&T BuildingAT&T Building (Kingman, Arizona)The AT&T Building at the corner of Pine and Third Streets in Kingman, Arizona was built in 1930 in Mission/Spanish Revival style. Fisher & Fisher were the architects and Mead & Mount were general contractors. Built in a residential area, building is still used by AT&T. The building was placed on...
– building in Kingman, ArizonaKingman, ArizonaKingman is located in a desert climate on the edge of the Mojave Desert, but its higher elevation and location between the Colorado Plateau and the Lower Colorado River Valley tempers summer high temperatures and contributes to winter cold and rare snowfall. Summer daytime highs reach above 90 °F ... - AT&T Building – (aka "The Batman Building") in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
- AT&T BuildingAT&T Building (Omaha)The AT&T Building is a 265 ft , 16-story skyscraper in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It was the tallest structure in downtown Omaha until the Woodman Tower and later First National Tower surpassed it in height. The original 15 story building was built in 1918, a twelve story addition was...
– building in Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, NebraskaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River... - AT&T Building Addition – building in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, MichiganDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
- AT&T CenterAT&T Center (Los Angeles)The AT&T Center, formerly called the SBC Tower, Transamerica Building, and Occidental Life Building, is a tall skyscraper in South Park, Los Angeles, California. Built to house the offices and computer center of the Occidental Life Insurance Company, it was completed in 1965 and has 32 floors...
– building in Los Angeles - AT&T CenterAT&T Center (St. Louis)One AT&T Center is a 44-story building in downtown St. Louis, Missouri on Chestnut Street on the Gateway Mall. It is Missouri's largest building by area with . It is located...
– building in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St... - AT&T City CenterAT&T City CenterThe AT&T City Center, is a 30 story, 390 foot office building located in Birmingham, Alabama. Completed in 1972,the building was originally known as the South Central Bell Building and served as the corporate headquarters for South Central Bell and its five-state operating territory.In 1998 the...
– building in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, AlabamaBirmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S... - AT&T Corporate CenterAT&T Corporate CenterThe Franklin Center is a 60-story skyscraper completed in 1989 as the AT&T Corporate Center to consolidate the central region headquarters of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company . It stands at a height of and contains in the Loop neighborhood of downtown Chicago...
– building in Chicago, Illinois - AT&T Huron Road Building – building in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
- AT&T Lenox Park Campus – AT&T Mobility Headquarters in DeKalb County just outside Atlanta, Georgia
- AT&T Midtown Center – building in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
- AT&T Switching Center – building in Los Angeles
- AT&T Switching Center – building in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, CaliforniaOakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
- AT&T Switching Center – building in San Francisco
- AT&T BuildingAT&T Building (San Diego)AT&T Building is the 24th tallest building in San Diego, California and is a prominent fixture in San Diego's skyline. The 20-story skyscraper has a height of 355 ft and is located in the Horton district of Downtown San Diego. It was constructed in 1982 and was designed by architect Langdon...
– building in San Diego - Whitacre Tower (One AT&T Plaza) – Corporate Headquarters, Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
- Sony TowerSony Building (New York)The Sony Tower, formerly the AT&T Building, is a tall, 37-story highrise skyscraper located at 550 Madison Avenue between 55th Street and 56th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It was designed by architect Philip Johnson and partner John Burgee, and was completed in 1984...
, (formerly the AT&T Building) - AT&T TowerAT&T Tower (Jacksonville)The AT&T Tower, also known as AT&T Building, is a skyscraper in Jacksonville, Florida. Standing 447 feet tall, it is currently the city's third-tallest building but is the largest in terms of class "A" rentable area with .-History:...
– building in Jacksonville, FL
Venues
- AT&T Bricktown BallparkAT&T Bricktown BallparkRedHawks Field at Bricktown opened in 1998 in downtown Oklahoma City's Bricktown district, replacing All Sports Stadium. It is the home of the Oklahoma City RedHawks, the AAA affiliate of the Houston Astros major league baseball team. The park seats 13,066 fans.The stadium frequently hosts the Big...
– Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
(formerly Southwestern Bell Bricktown Ballpark, SBC Bricktown Ballpark) - AT&T CenterAT&T CenterAT&T Center is an indoor arena, located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. It seats 18,581, for basketball , 13,800, for ice hockey and 19,000, for concerts or religious gatherings and contains 2,018 club seats, 50 luxury suites and 32 bathrooms .It was completed in 2002, as the SBC...
– San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
(formerly SBC Center) - AT&T Field – Chattanooga, TennesseeChattanooga, TennesseeChattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
(formerly BellSouth Park) - AT&T ParkAT&T ParkAT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
– San Francisco (formerly Pacific Bell Park, SBC Park) - AT&T PlazaAT&T PlazaAT&T Plaza is a public space that hosts the Cloud Gate sculpture. It is located in Millennium Park, which is a park built to celebrate the third millennium and which is located within the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois in the United States...
– Chicago, Illinois (public space that hosts the Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium ParkMillennium ParkMillennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community area of Chicago in Illinois, USA and originally intended to celebrate the millennium. It is a prominent civic center near the city's Lake Michigan shoreline that covers a section of northwestern Grant Park. The area was previously...
) - AT&T PlazaAmerican Airlines CenterThe American Airlines Center is a multi-purpose arena, located in the Victory Park neighborhood, near downtown Dallas, Texas.It is home to the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, and the Dallas Stars of the NHL....
– Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
(plaza in front of the American Airlines CenterAmerican Airlines CenterThe American Airlines Center is a multi-purpose arena, located in the Victory Park neighborhood, near downtown Dallas, Texas.It is home to the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, and the Dallas Stars of the NHL....
at Victory Park) - AT&T Performing Arts CenterAT&T Performing Arts CenterThe AT&T Performing Arts Center, preliminarily referred to as the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts is a $354 million multi-venue center in the Dallas Arts District for performances of opera, musical theater, classic and experimental theater, ballet and other forms of dance...
– Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States... - Jones AT&T StadiumJones AT&T StadiumJones AT&T Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is the home field of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team of the Big 12 Conference.-Planning and funding:Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium opened in 1947...
– Lubbock, TexasLubbock, TexasLubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
(formerly Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium, Jones SBC Stadium) - TPC San Antonio – San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
(AT&T Oaks Course & AT&T Canyons Course)
Sponsorships
- AT&T Champions Classic – Valencia, CaliforniaValencia, CaliforniaValencia is an affluent planned community located in the City of Santa Clarita, California and Los Angeles County, California, U.S. in the northwestern corner of the Santa Clarita Valley, adjacent to Interstate 5. In 1987, it was one of the four unincorporated communities that merged to create the...
- AT&T ClassicAT&T ClassicThe AT&T Champions Classic was a golf tournament on the Champions Tour from 1990 to 2009. It was played annually in March in Valencia, California at the Valencia Country Club. AT&T is the main sponsor of the tournament....
– Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
(formerly BellSouth Classic) - AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic (formerly Mobil Cotton Bowl Classic, Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl Classic, SBC Cotton Bowl Classic) – played in Arlington, TexasArlington, TexasArlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
, at Cowboys Stadium. - AT&T NationalAT&T NationalThe AT&T National is a professional golf tournament held in the Washington D.C. area during the Fourth of July weekend. The PGA Tour event is hosted by Tiger Woods and benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. The first AT&T National was held July 5–8, 2007, at the Blue Course of the Congressional...
– Washington, D.C. - AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
- AT&T Red River Rivalry – Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
(formerly Red River Shootout, SBC Red River Rivalry) - AT&T WilliamsF1 TeamWilliamsF1Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...
– based in Grove, OxfordshireGrove, OxfordshireGrove is a village and civil parish on Letcombe Brook about north of Wantage in the Vale of White Horse. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Parish churches:...
, United Kingdom - Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
and the United States Soccer FederationUnited States Soccer FederationThe United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
, including the U.S. men'sUnited States men's national soccer teamThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
and U.S. women'sUnited States women's national soccer teamThe United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
national teams and the Major League Soccer All-Star GameMajor League Soccer All-Star GameThe MLS All-Star Game is an annual soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against various competitors...
from 2009MLS All-Star 2009The 2009 Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 14th consecutive MLS All-Star Game. The MLS All-Stars faced Everton of the Premier League on July 29, 2009. The match ended in a 1–1 draw at full time and went to an immediate penalty shootout, which Everton won 4–3. Everton's American goalkeeper... - United States Olympic team
- National Collegiate Athletic AssociationNational Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(Corporate Champion)
Miscellaneous
- AT&T (SEPTA station) – Public Transportation Station in Philadelphia, PA
Global presence
AT&T offers services in many locations throughout the Asia Pacific; its regional headquarters is located in Hong Kong.Enterprise SIP Trunking Services
In 2008, Toshiba announced SIP interoperability with the AT&T IP Flexible Reach service, and this partnership would improve Toshiba's IP-PBX offerings. In 2010, AT&T combined its virtual private network (VPN) service with its IP Flexible Reach.See also
- AT&T CorporationAT&T CorporationAT&T Corp., originally American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American telecommunications company that provides voice, video, data, and Internet telecommunications and professional services to businesses, consumers, and government agencies. AT&T is the oldest telecommunications company...
- AT&T Connect
- AT&T Mobility
- att.net
- Bell SystemBell SystemThe Bell System was the American Bell Telephone Company and then, subsequently, AT&T led system which provided telephone services to much of the United States and Canada from 1877 to 1984, at various times as a monopoly. In 1984, the company was broken up into separate companies, by a U.S...
- Bell System DivestitureBell System divestitureThe Bell System divestiture, or the breakup of AT&T, was initiated by the filing in 1974 by the U.S. Department of Justice of an antitrust lawsuit against AT&T. The case, United States v...
- Communications Assistance For Law Enforcement ActCommunications Assistance for Law Enforcement ActThe Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act is a United States wiretapping law passed in 1994, during the presidency of Bill Clinton...
- Hepting v. AT&THepting v. AT&THepting v. AT&T is a United States class action lawsuit filed in January 2006 by the Electronic Frontier Foundation against the telecommunications company AT&T, in which the EFF alleges that AT&T permitted and assisted the National Security Agency in unlawfully monitoring the communications of...
- Lists of public utilities
- Modification of Final JudgmentModification of Final JudgmentIn United States telecommunication law, Modification of Final Judgment is the August 1982 agreement approved by the court settling United States v. AT&T, a landmark antitrust suit, originally filed on January, 14, 1949 and modifying the previous Final Judgment of January 24, 1956...
- NSA warrantless surveillance
- PRX (telephony)PRX (telephony)The PRX205 is a processor controlled reed relay telephone exchange developed by Philips Telecommunicatie Industrie BV in Hilversum during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The first public switch was installed in Overvecht in Utrecht in 1972. About half of all sales were in the Netherlands...
- Regional Bell Operating CompanyRegional Bell Operating CompanyThe Regional Bell Operating Companies are the result of United States v. AT&T, the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust suit against the former American Telephone & Telegraph Company . On January 8, 1982, AT&T Corp. settled the suit and agreed to divest its local exchange service operating...
- ToktumiToktumiToktumi is the company behind the Line2 iPhone app, which bypasses AT&T and allows cheaper calls.- Services :Toktumi is a company that offers cloud communications services and a VoIP client for the desktop and smartphones. To learn more about the company, visit . To learn more about their...
- Tying of the iPhone to AT&TTying of the iPhone to AT&TWhen Apple initially released the iPhone on June 29, 2007, it was sold exclusively with AT&T contracts in the United States. The tying arrangement between Apple's smartphone and a specific service provider caused some controversy, bringing the concepts of jailbreaking and bricking into the...
External links
Corporate information- Brand evolution of AT&T companies
- AT&T History and science resources at The Franklin Institute's Case Files online exhibit
- Press Release announcing FCC Approval of SBC-Ameritech merger (October 6, 1999)
Articles