int, and by specialized common carriers. Further, there are local exchange carriers (LECs) which provide services and access to residential and business customers for the long distance carriers. These Local Access and Transport Areas (LATAs) are closely regulated by state Public Utilities Commissions. These changes in the service structure have led to a distinction between traditional voice telephony companies and inter-exchange carriers, which are concerned with the movement of calls between the LATAs.
Top management at AT&T was aware of the fact that, in the days prior to divestiture, the company did not have a large reservoir of public support. The company realized further that in the contemporary climate favoring deregulation that it would quite likely lose a fight on the issue. It was in the interests of the company, therefore, to work out some sort of compromise.
Thus, AT&T entered into the divestiture agreement in the hopes that negotiations would for that agreement would permit AT&T to emerge from divestiture as a str
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