sundance-communications.com/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information MCI and Verizon

So I get an MCI invoice today and get the news of a merger with Verizon. What an unholy union. Two wrongs don't make a right. Shall I go on? And this on the heels of SBC and AT&T. What next?
Almost forgot Sprint and NexTel. Then there was Cingular and AT&T Wireless...

Like it or not, in a few years there will be just one. :rofl:

What a unique idea, it could be regulated and probable quite efficient, but then the government would probably break it up!

Really I think the break-up of AT&T did a lot to further the technology in communications, even though as an ex-employee I think the employee's would have been a lot better off had it stayed together.

So it looks like Qwest and BellSouth are the only ones left. Wonder how long it will take SBC or Verizon to gobble them up? Verizon being involved in anything is the kiss of death.

I got into telecom (as in "Hey I heard you're a hard worker. How would you like to make some money?") back in oh 1985 or so. Just after divestiture I think. Went from AT&T and the RBOCs to everybody and their dog had a phone company. So now its squeezing back down, which is about right I suppose. I doubt it will ever be just one company. As long as there are enough companies in every market to allow for competition, ie, the free-market, all should be well.

So far Bell South isn't doing too bad, so I'm sure someone will look at them. SBC and Bell South are already partners in Cingular soon to be AT&T wireless again, at least in the SBC/at&t area's. Qwest is probably the least likely right now with it's financial woes and pending law suites on past CEO's, not to mention the vast open territory it covers.

no one wants qwest.. debt ratio way too high.. and no one wants to foot the bill to run fiber thru the rockies.. if they are bought out it would be by a foreign telco or perhaps nextel/sprint..

i could see vz or sbc going after bell south..

i work for vz in new england and am curious whats going to happen to the mci techs here..
would like to get them into our local..

Well, Crash, here is what will happen with MCI people. I saw the same thing happen here in the DC area when VZ took over GTE a few years ago. Any good people with tenure got laid off or retired; then VZ literally ran into to the "hood" to find the cheapest and most incompetent people they could possibly find to fill their positions.

By the way, I am not, nor have I ever been a Bell or GTE employee. I just speak from experience in working with them as an interconnect company owner.

I can't even get in contact with people at "VZ". If I am able, I am lucky to reach people who are capable of speaking proper English, let alone being capable of understanding technology.

Don't second-guess VZ on picking up Qwest. VZ is now at the pace where they are just looking to impress potential investors by gobbling up territories. Geographically, they would look bigger and better, and stupid investors using simple on-line stock services would take the advice of these services. Nickels and dimes add up and that's what Verizon thrives upon.

As for BellSouth, anyone who knows the company knows that they ran like hell as soon as divestiture became final in 1984. I have never seen a Bell company look so much like an independent telco. I mean, even Cincinnati Bell and SNET (Southern New England Telephone) look more like Bell companies with regard to practices, materials, standards, outside plant, CO switch manufacturers, etc. than BellSouth.

Most Bell companies stayed with AT&T ESS switches, though some strayed to Nortel DMS offices. For some reason, BellSouth seemed to jump over to brands that were less "standard" in the United States, like Ericsson and Siemens. Bell companies never purchased these brands; they kept it all North American with regard to manufacture, but now a new goal was reached.

Maybe BellSouth was cutting-edge at the time; the supposed intent of the divestiture of AT&T. This allowed the lesser-known switch manufacturers to have a chance in the U.S. market. I can't say for sure, but I think it backfired on them if they intend to ever maintain the Bell reputation for standards.

I think that this smattering of different switch brands and random company/installation standards makes them no different from any "Mom & Pop" independent telco. Then, on the other hand, it makes them more attractive for purchase to smaller independents or owners of many independents, like Sprint.

I have seen Alltel, Centel, Contel, GTE and United Telephone properties that have outside plant that looks better than BellSouth's. It is as if the Bell standards were the first thing thrown out the window for them. It's almost like they didn't want to be a Bell company anymore.

BellSouth seems to have their operation more in line with becoming an independent. Being picked up by Sprint might be appropriate (or maybe vice-versa?). So much of their service territories are surrounded by the former United or Centel territories anyway. It would actually make sense for BellSouth to be taken over on a geographical basis.

It's too bad that many of these on-line stock services (more than can possibly be policed by intelligent advisors) have "daily suggestions". These encourage people without a clue to buy stock, and subsequently invest in such an accqusition.

Don't forget, people who have money don't always know how to spend it.

I suppose I should end my latest novel now.

Ed,
"BellSouth seems to have their operation more in line with becoming an independent."
Could you explain that statement? I haven't been around as long as some you older, wiser, fellas. Didn't divestiture make all the RBOCs independant?
Thanks
Richard

Divestiture made them independent from AT&T. The equipment as Ed stated for the most part was still purchased from Lucent (Western Electric) for awhile then some started using others. (there's still the governing bell standards) Ed's just stating that Bell South moved away from the traditional "Bell" more that the others. I wasn't aware their plant was any worse or better than others though, when I lived in their territory it just looked like typical big city construction to me, lots of junky looking aerial plant. Bell South (at least on paper) is doing better than it's Baby Bell brothers and sisters, at least from what I've seen and I don't think they are looking for a "partner" as hard as Qwest is. As far as your question on the people, MCI has been so anti union for so long I think it will be awhile before you can welcome them into your local..again just my opinion.