https://cordcuttersnews.com/att-marks-150th-anniversary/
AT&T Marks 150th Anniversary as It Shuts Down the Traditional Phone Lines That Made It What It Is Today
By Luke Bouma
on February 25, 2026
*** begin quote ***
Government intervention shaped AT&T’s trajectory in the mid-20th century. Antitrust actions led to a major breakup in 1984, dividing the company into regional operating companies known as the Baby Bells, while AT&T retained long-distance services and equipment manufacturing. Over the subsequent decades, the company navigated deregulation and competition, reacquiring several of its former subsidiaries and expanding into wireless and broadband. Notable developments included the first satellite telephone call in 1962, the implementation of the 911 emergency system in 1968, and the historic call to astronauts on the moon in 1969. In the 1970s, AT&T pioneered fiber-optic cables using advanced lasers and glass fibers, setting the stage for high-speed data transmission.
*** end quote ***
Silently, Gooferment politicians and bureaucrats transformed the old MaBell from a “widows and orphans” stock into a national disaster.
Maybe it was due for an overhaul but the social and economic cost were staggering.
Personally, I did ok but I lost a “career” and my Mom lost millions in her stock and savings.
Many old folks beleived the company’s paternalistic promises to their own detriment.
Saddest of all was the loss of Bell Labs. It was a scientific miracle for America. It was shattered by politicians and bureaucrats who could not see its value to the nation.
So sad.
— 30 —
Posted by reinkefj 
Reinke Faces Life 