[ASOC]

As a telecom guy that got laid off, I have to say the numbers are staggering, millions over the 4 years and the consolidation is not over.
Prices for consumers have come down, but the pressure on margins are now so incredible as to boggle the mind. Say what you will, any company has to make a profit, and consolidation is one way to increase profits.

[soccer_maniac]

I used to have a home land line and paid on average $50/month.

Now I have cellphone and pay $100/month.

As far as I can tell, telcos are better off now.

[cva66snipe]

When the split happened my dad had a choice between staying with Bellsouth {Southern Bell when he hired on then South Central Bell}. He stayed with Bellsouth and faired much better than the ones who went with AT&T. Many AT&T people got the ax within the first few years of the split. He went back outside because he worked in the 4A office and right at the split they put in the ESS and had cut it over two weeks before he went back outside. He did 45 years with Bell most of it in 4-A. Man that was a loud equipment room and the CAMA machines even louder.

Judge Greene really didn't do anyone any favors. Service went down hill fast. From what I'm seeing now even a cable splicer is rare. That makes me wonder how long it will be before the grid from C.O. to SLICK, businesses, and homes really start to show some major troubles. It sounds like someone is betting the farm on satellite technology to replace the lines {complete wireless} but that's still a ways off.

[BlackbirdSST]

Say what you will, any company has to make a profit, and consolidation is one way to increase profits.

Well, color me stupid, but if a Company has $65 Billion to toss around, I'd say their profit margins are nothing to sneeze at already. Blackbird.

[Koblenz]

I am amazed how little I have to pay for phone service. I have three lines, and with taxes and fees, the total is $125 for all three lines. This is way less than my parents paid for one line when I was growing up, and I make a lot more long distance calls than they did. Back then, a long distance call was a big deal, now it's not.

Deregulation worked. It brought about competition.