Re:Towns want Verizon investigated for abandoning networks t...
by ghaff on Friday December 04, 2015 @11:30AM
(#10677249)
In part, because of the existence proof of doing it that way. No, it's not as simple as saying that AT&T was bad. They established highly reliable landline service. I also hear that Bell Labs did a couple of interesting things in its history. :-) (AT&T wasn't nationalized but it was a regulated monopoly.)
However, you also weren't allowed to so much as provide your own telephone until AT&T was forced to allow it by the government. And phone service, especially outside of a small local area, was shockingly expensive for a very long time. (Yes, some of this is because of technology but AT&T also had little incentive and little interest in cutting rates absent competition.)
For the short video version, cue Lily Tomlin:
We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company.
However, you also weren't allowed to so much as provide your own telephone until AT&T was forced to allow it by the government. And phone service, especially outside of a small local area, was shockingly expensive for a very long time. (Yes, some of this is because of technology but AT&T also had little incentive and little interest in cutting rates absent competition.)
For the short video version, cue Lily Tomlin:
We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHgUN_95UAw