U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for January 8

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8: 30TH AT&T BREAKUP ANNIVERSARY

Profile America — Sunday, January 8th.  The landscape of the nation's telephone service changed forever on this date 30 years ago when AT&T agreed to give up its local Bell System companies.  The action came as the result of what has been termed the most significant antitrust suit since the breakup of Standard Oil in 1911.  Before, the virtual monopoly of what had come to be known as "Ma Bell," controlled America's telephone equipment and lines.  Today, competitive forces among many carriers shape telephone service.  But the real action is in the cell phone industry, which now has some 303 million subscribers — swiftly approaching the level of one phone for every person in the U.S.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2012, p. 78
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 1149

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau