AT&T Splits: Monopoly Breaks Open
AT&T agreed to dismantle its empire by splitting off twenty-two regional subsidiaries, instantly shattering the Bell System's forty-year monopoly on American telecommunications. This forced breakup unleashed fierce competition that drove down phone rates and accelerated the development of modern internet infrastructure.
January 8, 1982
44 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on January 8
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