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''This article describes the present AT&T Inc. From 1885 to 2005, there was a prior instance of AT&T (formerly named American Telephone & Telegraph) that was later purchased by SBC Communications (itself a significant component of AT&T 1885-1983); for details of this defunct company during the period, see AT&T (1885-2005).

AT&T Inc. () is the largest provider of both local and long distance telephone services, wireless service, and DSL internet access in the United States. The current company, which is based in San Antonio, Texas, United States, was formed in 2005 by SBC Communications' purchase of its former parent company, AT&T Corp. As a part of the merger, SBC shed its name and took on the iconic AT&T moniker (originally American Telephone and Telegraph) and the T stock-trading symbol (for "Telephone").

History

AT&T Corporation

For more information regarding this topic, see AT&T (1885-2005).

SBC Communications

For more information regarding this topic, see SBC Communications.

Creation of AT&T, Inc.

On January 31, 2005, SBC announced that it would purchase AT&T for more than $16 billion. The announcement came almost 8 years after SBC and AT&T called off their first merger talks and nearly a year after initial merger talks between AT&T and BellSouth 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 approved it on October 31, 2005. The merger was finalized on November 18 2005. SBC announced that the name of the merged company will be AT&T, Inc., and it adopted an updated logo. The merger is ironic in the fact that one of the "Baby Bells" grew to the strength to buy out "Ma Bell" AT&T. A further irony is that the government, which mandated the breakup of the original monopoly AT&T in the first place, gave the go-ahead to allow AT&T to reconstitute much of itself in this merger.

On December 1, 2005 the combined company began trading under the historic "T" stock ticker symbol on the NYSE.

Expansion

Announced Acquisition of BellSouth

On Sunday March 5, 2006 AT&T announced it would be purchasing BellSouth for $67 billion (or 1.325 shares of AT&T for each share of BellSouth). The new combined company would retain the name AT&T. [http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid={6E4D6E93-004F-4938-9692-B2704970428B}&siteid=mktw&dist= When completed, this deal will consolidate ownership of Cingular Wireless, currently a joint venture between BellSouth and AT&T. Subsequent to completion of the merger, wireless services would be offered under the AT&T name. Usage of the Bell logo after the merger is highly doubtful.

Bell Operating Companies

Of the 24 Bell Operating Companies which AT&T owned or in which it held a minority interest prior to the 1984 federally mandated split of the company, 11 will be a part of the new AT&T Inc. upon the completion of their proposed acquisition of BellSouth announced on March 5, 2006:
D/B/A Names
On January 15, 2006, AT&T changed all of its d/b/a names adopted in 2003 to reflect the new holding company name, AT&T.
  • AT&T Inc., SBC's new name
    • AT&T Southwest - general d/b/a name for Southwestern Bell region
      • AT&T Arkansas - SWBT d/b/a names based on its operations in each state
      • AT&T Kansas
      • AT&T Missouri
      • AT&T Oklahoma
      • AT&T Texas
    • AT&T West
      • AT&T California
      • AT&T Nevada
    • AT&T East
      • AT&T Connecticut
      • AT&T Massachusetts
    • AT&T Midwest - SBC Teleholdings was renamed AT&T Teleholdings
      • AT&T Illinois
      • AT&T Indiana
      • AT&T Michigan
      • AT&T Ohio
      • AT&T Wisconsin

Corporate Governance

AT&T's current board mainly consists of members of SBC's board of directors.

Privacy controversy

In 2006, the Electronic Frontier Foundation lodged a class action lawsuit (Hepting vs. AT&T) which alleged that AT&T had allowed agents of the National Security Agency to monitor phone and internet communications of AT&T customers without warrants. If true, this would violate American law. In April 2006 a retired former AT&T technician, Mark Klein, lodged an affadavit supporting this allegation The Department of Justice has stated they will intervene in this lawsuit by means of State Secrets Privilege [http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2006_04.php#004613.

In May 2006, USA Today reported that all international and domestic calling records had been handed over to the National Security Agency by AT&T, Verizon, SBC, and BellSouth for the purpose of creating a massive calling database.* 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 reported that AT&T had rewritten rules on their privacy policy. The policy, to take 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."*

Places/Events named after SBC/AT&T

Note: This event is subject to a name change now that SBC has changed its name to AT&T.

AT&T's competitors

See also

More History of AT&T

Former holding companies part of the "new" AT&T

General interest

External links

AT&T | Bell System | Telecommunications companies of the United States | Companies based in Texas | Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange | Dow Jones Industrial Average | Fortune 1000 | Internet service providers of the United States | Public utilities of the United States | San Antonio, Texas | Telecommunications companies | 2005 establishments | Companies without an unabbreviated name | S&P 500

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "AT&T".

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