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Verizon To Acquire MCI For $6.7 Billion
An anonymous reader submits "Even after a last minute offer from Qwest Communications, MCI board members accepted a less lucrative offer from Verizon to be bought for $6.7 billion in cash, stock and dividends. The acquisition comes after Nextel Communications and Sprint Corp. partnered up in a $35 billion deal and SBC Communications Inc. and AT&T Corp. announced a $16 billion merger plan. So, what's next for the telecom industry?"
and in the darkness connect them
Interesting.
The hot new board game from Parker Brothers hits the shelves: Telecom MONOPOLY
(It's never too late to join the Renaissance)
...that eventually, all of the US telecom companies will merge back into one. That single, surviving company will be known as "The Bell System" or, colloquially as "Ma Bell".
You heard it here first.
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What's next?!? The same thing we do every night, Pinky. try to Take OVer THE WORLD!
Don't wanna use no MCI!
Reach out and touch some other fool,
'Cause breakin' up is hard on you!
They say that breakin' up was hard to do,
When Carly put the screws to you,
Spun off Lucent and then,
Includin' breakin' up she also buggered HPQ and then...
AT&T gave back the phone!
And now we'll lease, no more to own,
Reach out and touch some other fool,
'Cause breakin' up was hard on you.
(With apologies to the original 1984 Breakin' up is hard on you parody from the American Comedy Network.)
The three were about to merge, but their plans were thwarted when it was discovered that the world's supply of stupid committee-selected synthetic corporate names has finally been exhausted, so there would be no way to refer to the new conglomerate.
Well, now that a few of them have merged, they'll probably stabilize for a little while, and then start buying each other up again. Pretty soon, we'll be down to one company providing phone service.
Hey, wasn't there talk of TV over phone too? Maybe once all the companies merge, they could call themselves... American Telephone and Television? Or just AT&T for short. That has a nice ring to it. Ring! That's it, they can use a bell as their company logo! People can buy stock in it, and refer to "My Bell" phone company.
Three dits, four dits, two dits, dah!
Radio, radio, rah rah rah!
Why stop there? While we're at it, I think it's time we abolish this whole ownership society thing. The whole concept of private property is offensive. Why should we allow individuals to believe they are better than anyone else, and have things that others don't?
There are needy people out there that are being trampled by greedy, heartless bigots who are unwilling to sacrifice their own luxury for the collective good.
It's time for government to force these corporations to cough up their ill-gotten gains, and give it back to the people who are victimized by these hatemongering corporations.
"Ask not what your country can do for you." --John F. Kennedy
Is it actually coming back to this?
Although funny, I guess their was some truth to it. But the real question comes to whether this is good for the telecom industry or not. I guess so in ways, but I think that only time will tell. It is kind of sad to see what used to be the biggest names in telecom bought out, and possibly destroyed, especailly stuff like this.
The DeathStar was broken up into little pieces, but apparently the dark side of the Force is bringing them back together. Admiral Vonage and General Skype will lead the rebel alliance Help us, Obi-For-Wan-Wan, you're our only hope!
A: Cthulhu reforms 15 minutes later, except now Cthulhu is radioactive.
Q: So, what's next for the telecom industry?
A: It reforms 25 years later into Ma Bell, except now it controls everything.
It's finally time to replace that obsolescent breep-breep ringing noise on the handsets with the throaty screech of Godzilla.
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