In his March 21 letter (“Local Phone Service Competition in Jeopardy,” Voice of the People), Michael W. Ward misses the mark when he writes that AT&T’s proposed merger with BellSouth is a “disturbing development” because it will assume control of most phone lines once held by Ma Bell.
Ward forgets that at the time of divestiture, AT&T had a total monopoly on phone service. There were no other choices. Cellular phone users numbered only in the thousands. The Internet was a Defense Department network. Broadband, cable modems and the World Wide Web did not exist.
Characterizing this merger as a return to the days of Ma Bell is self-defeating. Broadband prices continue to drop and competitive alternatives flourish.
Times have changed. Rather than hurting consumers, a combined AT&T-BellSouth is exactly what’s needed: A broadband competitor equal to the national cable companies in size and strength. This means lower prices and faster build-out in underserved areas. The broadband supply chain has become too large and diverse for even a merged AT&T and BellSouth to drive out all competition. The monolithic Bell System is never coming back.
