Bell System

The Bell System is an informal name given to the US telecommunications company American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T) before AT&T divested its local exchange telephone service operating companies on January 1, 1984. Such divestiture was the result of a lawsuit alleging illegal practices by AT&T to stifle competition in the telecommunications industry; the lawsuit was brought against it by the United States Department of Justice. The lawsuit originated in 1974, and was settled on January 8, 1982.