What was AT&T called before?
Over its lengthy existence, the business changed various identities and underwent mergers until it became known as AT&T.
Here's a look at the evolution of the AT&T name
Its origins are found in the Bell Telephone Company.
The first business connected to AT&T was Alexander Graham Bell's Bell Telephone Company founded in 1877. After the telephone was invented in 1876 Bell founded the Bell Telephone Company, which owned both the telephone and the switchboard as well as the patent for both. At first, the Bell Company focused on developing phone services in Northeastern America.
American Bell and its early expansion
Reorganized in 1899, the Bell Telephone Company became the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, usually shortened as AT&T Internet Corporation or American Bell. Establishing phone wire connections between important national cities to create a long-distance telephone network took the front stage during this era. American Bell was the parent company of Bell System, a business network providing phone services throughout the United States by 1886. Early in the 1900s, Bell System grew dramatically in part by acquiring several other smaller local telegraph and telephone firms.
Dissolution of the Bell System
American Bell, which subsequently changed its name to the American Telephone and Telegraph Company in 1925, continued to acquire phone businesses throughout the United States in the next decades, thereby increasing its monopoly. But in 1974 the U.S. Department of Justice brought AT&T before courts for antitrust, and later the latter was forced to sell local phone company control. AT&T remained with its long-distance services and telephone equipment manufacture after divestment; its local regional businesses were sold.
Beginning of modern AT&T
In 1994, AT&T adopted a divestiture strategy for three independent companies.
1) AT&T: Kept long-distance telephone and wireless services domestically and internationally as well as AT&T Bell Labs and equipment production
2) Lucent Technologies: Swallowed the equipment manufacturing and Bell Labs divisions
3) NCR Corporation: Assumed control of the computer division of the company
In the 1990s and 2000s, AT&T concentrated on growing its wireless business by acquiring new companies and additional spectrum. SBC Communications acquired the “new AT&T” in the year 2005, and then adopted this famous name of AT&T. In addition, AT&T, which was known as the “new AT&T”, bought BellSouth early in 2006. By this time, most of the major elements of the original Bell System had been assembled as the new AT&T. After that AT&T has continued to grow through acquisitions such as DirecTV and has also entered other regions such as Latin America and Mexico.
The Evolution of an Iconic American Brand
So in summary:
- 1877: Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone & establishes the Bell Telephone Company.
- 1899: It changes its name to the American Telephone & Telegraph Company.
- 1925: Becomes officially known as the American Telephone and Telegraph Company
- 1974: The DOJ files an antitrust complaint to break up the Bell System.
- 1983: AT&T divested into three organizations: AT&T Corporation, NCR Corporation, and Lucent Technologies.
- 2005-2006: New modern AT&T through acquisitions of SBC, BellSouth
The logo and the brand name of this company are among the most recognizable images of American commerce of the twentieth century. This transformation period in human history has seen the company evolve from a local player that began long-distance communication to the international conglomerate that it is today has undergone tremendous technological change and development of infrastructure for enabling communication across distances. With the communication networks as well as the mobile technology preparing to rocket into the future, the AT&T brand that has been linked with historical innovations in connectivity will continue to the define future to come.