▁Commission . ▁By ▁ 1 9 2 4 , ▁the ▁I CC ▁approved ▁AT & T ' s ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁ 2 2 3 ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 3 4 ▁independent ▁tele phone ▁companies . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁the ▁I CC ▁approved ▁ 2 7 1 ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 7 4 ▁purchase ▁requests ▁of ▁AT & T . ▁With ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Federal ▁Communic ations ▁Commission ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁the ▁government ▁reg ulated ▁the ▁rates ▁charged ▁by ▁AT & T . ▁ ▁The ▁entire ▁network ▁was ▁national ized ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁from ▁June ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁to ▁July ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁Following ▁re - priv at ization , ▁AT & T ▁res umed ▁its ▁near - mon opol y ▁position . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁AT & T ▁and ▁the ▁Justice ▁Department ▁agreed ▁on ▁a ▁consent ▁dec ree ▁to ▁end ▁an ▁ant it rust ▁suit ▁brought ▁against ▁AT & T ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁Under ▁the ▁dec ree , ▁AT & T ▁restricted ▁its ▁activities ▁to ▁those ▁related ▁to ▁running ▁the ▁national ▁tele phone ▁system , ▁and ▁special ▁projects ▁for ▁the ▁federal ▁government . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁F CC ▁regul ators ▁interven ed ▁when ▁the ▁Bell ▁System ▁tried ▁to ▁prevent ▁a ▁mobile ▁communic ations ▁system , ▁the ▁Carter f one , ▁from ▁connecting ▁to ▁tele phone ▁lines . ▁That