[AntiGuv]

History would prove that the government does not do a good job regulating telecom issues. Just look at what happened on January 1, 1984 and then just over 21-years later on January 31, 2005. The first date represents when AT&T was broken up into seven Regional Bell Operating Companies, due to its monopoly over the local and long distance telephone market. The second date is when SBC bought out AT&T and in essence restored it as a local and long distance provider (SBC subsequently assumed the name 'AT&T').

Umm.. The break up of AT&T is precisely what sparked the telecommunications revolution in the first place, or at least it was a huge factor. AT&T had petrified so much that innovation was virtually nil. As for its merger with SBC, the world has changed, and telcom has moved far beyond just local/long distance; and moreover, AT&T is still not even remotely the monopoly it once was.

[Bogey78O]

I haven't seen any innovation sparked because of the break-up. I see a lot of technologies coming around and growing but that has more to do with time and eventualities then the break-up.