U.S. v. AT&T

Citation

United States v. AT&T, 552 F. Supp. 131 (D.D.C. 1982) (full-text).

Overview

United States v. AT&T was the landmark U.S. antitrust case that led to the 1984 breakup of the old American Telephone & Telegraph Company into the seven new Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) and the much smaller new AT&T.

Factual Background

In the 1970s the Federal Communications Commission suspected that the American Telephone & Telegraph Company was using monopoly profits from its Western Electric subsidiary to subsidize the costs of its network, which was contrary to U.S. antitrust law.

The case was filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) in 1974.

Trial Court Proceedings

In 1978 Judge Harold H. Greene of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, on his first day on the bench, took over the case. It was settled in 1982 by the means of a consent decree, called the Modification of Final Judgment that was approved by Judge Greene.

External Resources

• William Yurick, Judge Harold H. Greene: "A Pivotal Judicial Figure in Telecommunications Policy and His Legacy" (full-text)