The Bell System reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Bell System

The Bell System is an informal name given to the US telecommunications company American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T) before AT&T divested its local exchange service operating companies on January 1, 1984. Such divestiture was the result of a lawsuit alleging illegal practices by AT&T to stifle competition in the telecommunications industry; the lawsuit was brought against it by the United States Department of Justice. The lawsuit originated in 1974, and was settled on January 8, 1982.

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