A Baby Bell is one of the Regional Bell Operating Companies formed when the US government broke up the AT&T monopoly. These regional entities took over local telephone service operations in specific geographic areas, while AT&T retained long-distance services. Over decades of mergers and acquisitions, most of these regional companies have consolidated back into a few major telecom conglomerates.
The central office still has equipment racks stamped with the old Baby Bell logo from before the merger.
Veteran telecom workers often still refer to their regional carrier by its historic Baby Bell name, such as Pacific Bell or NYNEX, even if it is now part of Verizon or AT&T.
Also heard as
- RBOC
- Regional Bell Operating Company
Related terms
Ma Bell
A historic nickname for the Bell System monopoly that once controlled North American telephone service.
ILEC
The established regional telephone company that owned the original copper wire monopoly before market deregulation.
LEC
A regulatory term for a local telephone company that provides service within a specific geographic area.