History
In 1979 and 1980, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) conducted Computer Inquiry I and II, which restricted Western Electric from selling "enhanced services", such as telephone equipment and other unregulated business, except through a fully separated AT&T subsidiary. As a result, American Bell, Inc. was formed, and began operations in 1982.
Employees at American Bell who worked in AT&T facilities that housed Bell Labs and Western Electric offices often encountered bureaucratic red tape, such as restrictions on using the one library in the same building because it was owned by Bell Labs.
American Bell contained two core units:
- American Bell Consumer Products - sold residential telephones/terminal equipment
- American Bell Advanced Information Systems - sold business telephone/terminal equipment, such as the American Bell Merlin system
Read more about this topic: AT&T Information Systems
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