[Trust but Verify]

The answer is that there are many new companies in the telephone business. There are cable, wireless, and internet phone providers. The only way to stay in business is to merge.

As a current employee of AT&T, this news is out-of-the-blue. I don't know if it's good or not, but whoever said Ed Whitacre should be in prison is wrong. He's a BUSINESSMAN, and as such, he is required to do what's best for the company he runs.

[HAL9000]

I don't know if it's good or not, but whoever said Ed Whitacre should be in prison is wrong. He's a BUSINESSMAN, and as such, he is required to do what's best for the company he runs.

I'm the one who said Ed Whitacre - your boss - is a criminal who belongs in prison. Furthermore, he was more responsible for prolonging the recession after 9/11 than anyone else. He is an evil bastard.