40 Years After Carterphone Ended AT&T Equipment Monopoly

fm6 writes "Wednesday was the 40th anniversary of the Carterfone Decision which brought to an end AT&T's monopoly on telephone terminal equipment. Ars Technica has an opinionated but informative backgrounder on this landmark, which pretty much created the telecommunications world as we currently know it."

Comments

Re:how carter won

[butterfield]

This may have been a small evidence. However, the divesture was initiated by a disgruntled ATT employee who started MCI. So, with the diversture, we have come for 15 dollar phone bills to hundreds of dollars. Technology advanced but so did the ablility to charge more. Regulation kept the telecommunication industry within affordable limits. Grandma and Grandpa on a limited income could afford a telephone. Now, the base rate is more than some social security checks. So, as we look at the advances, one must ask, how did we take care of our population for communication? Did we really better ourselves or enslave ourselves in the manner of George Orwell's 1984.

Re:we're the phone company

[Kibblet]

Yeah lets get rid of the farmers and rely on importing all our food. Who needs corn? Who needs milk and meat? Wait to see the price increases after this flooding -- and then tell me you don't want farmers in the USA.

Re:It's a good thing...

[nurb432]

Bla bla bla bla.