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AT&T Phone Service
AT&T is the largest local and long distance telephone provider in the United States, and traces its roots back to the invention of the telephone in the late 1800s. The telephone giant had a monopoly of the American market for much of the 20th century, but was forced to split into several separate regional "Bell" companies in 1984. In recent years, however, many of these smaller companies have re-consolidated back into the AT&T brand name. Most recently, AT&T acquired its second largest rival, BellSouth Corp., in a deal worth over $80 billion. In addition to providing local phone service in much of the United States, AT&T is also a provider of broadband internet access, and owns a 100% share in America's largest mobile phone network, Cingular Wireless. AT&T currently trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol, "T" as in telephone. |