Fred Atk>> AT&T used to do what it pleased all the time. Do you remember the >> result of that?
> Good phone service and Bell Labs.
> TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Touche! and all that ... But the main
> trouble with that was Bell *tried* to have good PR but in fact they
> sucked at it. Remember, the entire divestiture thing succeeded in
> large part because Judge Harold Greene lost ten cents in a nasty,
> smelly, urinated-on, busted-up, graffiti-ridden payphone booth and the
> operator sassed at him and condescended to him about getting a refund
> when the phone did not 'work right'. Greene was *so annoyed* by that
> incident he swore that he would bust up Bell no matter what. Only a
> short time later, two of the Justice Department flunkies who knew
> about Greene's experience and his pre-disposition toward Bell told
> their bosses they knew of the 'perfect judge' to do their
> bidding. Justice, you see, was waiting for the right judge at the
> right time; they did not like Bell that much either. I dare say that
> had Bell been a bit more diligent in PR efforts during the late 1970's
> and early 1980's they might still be around. Maybe, I am not sure. PAT]
No doubt that DOJ shopped the judge. It's still done all the time.
I didn't know that about Greene though, that's too funny. So because this jackass couldn't let go of a dime we all get to pay higher phone costs. Is he still alive? Maybe we should sentence him to a hell of dirty, broken phones and high phone bills for his remaining days.
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: No, Greene died a few years ago. Greene and his ten-cent coin which he did not want to give up were only a small, and perhaps insignificant part of the divestiture. PAT]