ANALYSIS: THE POWER OF PR - Public Affairs - Open lines: how AT&T monopolized phones

Consumer watchdogs argue that the proposed merger between MCI Worldcom and Sprint will lead to a duopoly, with AT&T remaining number one. Dimly remembered in today’s deregulated world of telecommunications is that at one time, AT&T’s ability to offer ’one policy, one system, universal service’ had, thanks to PR, commended itself to the nation.