nd data services to the largest businesses and commercial organizations in the United States. As a result of multiple mergers, by 2011 the seven RBOCs had been reorganized into three organizations: Verizon Communications, AT&T, Inc., and CenturyLink. Table 3-1 presents the time line of the decline of AT&T Corporation. Table 3-1 The Demise of the Former AT&T Corporation Name of Purchased or Spun- Organization Off Entity: Year Details AT&T Corporation Lucent Technologies: Spun off Lucent Technologies, its telephone system and carrier equipment sales, and manufactur- ing businesses. Lucent kept its research and development arm, Bell Labs. Lucent Avaya Inc.: 2000 Spun off its customer-premises business to newly formed Avaya, Inc. Lucent kept carrier sales, manufacturing, and Bell Labs. Alcatel Lucent: 2006 French company Alcatel pur- chased Lucent and changed its name to Alcatel-Lucent. The 1984 Breakup of AT&T Name of Purchased or Spun- Organization Off Entity: Year Details AT&T Corporation Teleport: 1998 Purchased Teleport, which owned fiber-optic networks in 63 cities. At the time, it was the largest local competitor to the Bells. McCaw Cellular: 1994 Purchased the largest cellular provider in the United States from Craig McCaw. TCI: 1999 Purchased the largest cable TV provider in the United States at a premium price. MediaOne: 2000 Purchased cable TV operator MediaOne. AT&T had envi- sioned using its cable assets for bundled TV, Internet access, and telephone service. However, the combined costs of upgrades and purchases for these invest- ments-$115 billion by 2000- resulted in huge losses. AT&T Wireless: 2001 Spun off AT&T Wireless to raise capital for its other ventures. It was the largest mobile operator in the United States. Comcast AT&T Broadband: As a result of its losses, the former AT&T sold its cable properties, AT&T Broadband, to Comcast for $41 billion plus the assumption by Comcast of $25 billion of debt. Cingular Wireless AT&T Wireless: 2004 Cingular purchased AT&T Wire- less, which was operating at 