• Login
    View Item 
    •   SMARTech Home
    • Georgia Tech Theses and Dissertations
    • Georgia Tech Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   SMARTech Home
    • Georgia Tech Theses and Dissertations
    • Georgia Tech Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Evolution of United States telecommunications policy, technology, and competition at the Bell Operating Companies 1952-1996

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    DREWS-DISSERTATION-2017.pdf (2.532Mb)
    Date
    2017-10-13
    Author
    Drews, Wayne R.
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Attention is focused on the local Bell Operating Companies (BOCs) and to the changes initially driven by competition in Customer Premises Equipment (CPE). The federal court’s decision in January 1982 resulted in AT&T’s divestiture of the BOCs and permanently changed the landscape. This study begins well before 1982 to consider the AT&T’s tradition of control over all telephone services and the significance of losing that control. The terminal, subscriber loop, central office switches, and interoffice trunks had for many years been the exclusive province of the regulated telephone operating companies. Communications lines and terminals were indivisible and installation of any subscriber-owned equipment violated federal and state tariffs and carried the penalty of service disconnection. The demise of that tradition occurred because of technology evolution, initiatives of competitors, changes in customer requirements, AT&T responses, and ultimately the actions of governmental bodies. To fully appreciate impacts of the court-ordered divestiture and the ramifications of various adjustments necessary by the divested BOCs, mandated that this study extends into the years of the mid-nineties. Even though most historical attention rests with AT&T Headquarters. The BOCs were key to the processes. Archives of the BOCs were explored and provided details previously unstudied by historians. Other primary sources were media accounts, proceedings of governmental agencies and industry forums, and interviews of individuals involved in the events. The Bell System attitude of invincibility was a significant factor leading to their loss. In the end, a break-up would be done and open competition delivered significant benefits.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/1853/59226
    Collections
    • School of History and Sociology Theses and Dissertations [39]
    • Georgia Tech Theses and Dissertations [22398]

    Browse

    All of SMARTechCommunities & CollectionsDatesAuthorsTitlesSubjectsTypesThis CollectionDatesAuthorsTitlesSubjectsTypes

    My SMARTech

    Login

    Statistics

    View Usage StatisticsView Google Analytics Statistics
    • About
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
    • Emergency Information
    • Legal & Privacy Information
    • Accessibility
    • Accountability
    • Accreditation
    • Employment
    • Login
    Georgia Tech

    © Georgia Institute of Technology

    • About
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
    • Emergency Information
    • Legal & Privacy Information
    • Accessibility
    • Accountability
    • Accreditation
    • Employment
    • Login
    Georgia Tech

    © Georgia Institute of Technology