https://sociopost.co.uk/story.php?title=the-philosophy-of-what-is-electric-cable These are all unexpected results of the deregulation of the phone business that started with the breakup of AT&T in 1984 and picked up pace with the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The deregulation was designed to assist customers by giving them more choices. In return, the remnants of AT&T -- the so-called Baby Bells -- weren't as regulated as they moved into wireless, long distance and Internet companies. Fri, 20 Mar 2026 08:10:11 UTC en