Who are the Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs)?

There were originally 7 RBOCs.  Today there are only 3:

• Qwest - created by the merger of US West and Qwest Communications International, Inc.
• at&t - created by the merger of SBC, Ameritech, and Pacific Telesis, AT&T, and Bell South..
• Verizon - created by the merger of Bell Atlantic, Nynex, and GTE.

The original 7 RBOCs were formed from the 1984 breakup of AT&T.  AT&T originally consisted of 22 Bell Operating Companies (BOCs).  The 1984 Divestiture merged the 22 BOCs into 7 RBOCs:

• Ameritech
  • Illinois Bell Telephone Company
  • Indiana Bell Telephone Company
  • Michigan Bell Telephone Company
  • Ohio Bell Telephone Company
  • Wisconsin Bell Telephone Company
• Bell Atlantic
  • Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania
  • Chesapeake and Potomac State Telephone Company of Virginia
  • Diamond State Telephone Company
  • New Jersey Bell Telephone Company
  • Potomac State Telephone Company of Maryland
  • Potomac State Telephone Company of Washington, D.C.
  • Potomac State Telephone Company of West Virginia
• Bell South
  • South Central Bell Telephone Company
  • Southern Bell Telephone Company
• Nynex
  • New England Telephone Company
  • New York Telephone Company
• Pacific Telesis
  • Nevada Bell Telephone Company
  • Pacific Bell Telephone Company
• Southwestern Bell Communications (SBC Communications)
  • Southwestern Bell Telephone Company
• US West
  • Mountain Bell Telephone Company
  • Northwestern Bell Telephone Company
  • Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company