▁AT & T ▁long - distance ▁network . ▁ ▁The ▁government ▁had ▁been ▁increasing ly ▁wor ried ▁that ▁AT & T ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁Bell ▁Comp an ies ▁were ▁mon opol izing ▁the ▁industry . ▁Under ▁The odore ▁N . ▁V ail ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁AT & T ▁had ▁bought ▁Bell - associ ated ▁companies ▁and ▁organized ▁them ▁into ▁new ▁hier arch ies . ▁AT & T ▁had ▁also ▁acquired ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁independ ents , ▁and ▁bought ▁control ▁of ▁Western ▁Union , ▁giving ▁it ▁a ▁mon opol istic ▁position ▁in ▁both ▁tele phone ▁and ▁te legraph ▁communication . ▁A ▁key ▁strategy ▁was ▁to ▁refuse ▁to ▁connect ▁its ▁long - distance ▁network ▁— ▁techn olog ically , ▁by ▁far ▁the ▁fin est ▁and ▁most ▁extensive ▁in ▁the ▁land ▁— ▁ ▁with ▁local ▁independent ▁carri ers . ▁Without ▁the ▁prospect ▁of ▁long - distance ▁services , ▁the ▁market ▁position ▁of ▁many ▁independ ents ▁became ▁un ten able . ▁V ail ▁stated ▁that ▁there ▁should ▁be ▁" one ▁policy , ▁one ▁system ▁[ AT & T ' s ] ▁and ▁universal ▁service , ▁no ▁collection ▁of ▁separate ▁companies ▁could ▁give ▁the ▁public ▁the ▁service ▁that ▁[ the ] ▁Bell ... ▁system ▁could ▁give ." ▁ ▁AT & T ' s ▁strateg ies ▁prompt ed ▁compla ints ▁and ▁attract ed ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁the ▁Justice ▁Department . ▁Fac ed ▁with ▁a ▁government ▁investigation ▁for ▁ant it rust ▁viol ations , ▁AT & T ▁entered ▁into ▁negoti ations . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Kings