Company Overview
Highlights
Serves 21 million phone numbers.
The number-three local phone service in the United States, serving customers in nine southern states.
One of the Baby Bells, BellSouth is one of the big players in the telecom industry. The company offers voice, broadband, e-commerce, and Web hosting services to business and consumer markets, and publishes online and directory advertising services. With AT&T (formerly SBC), BellSouth formed Cingular Wireless, of which it owns a 40% share. The company has moved into the long-distance business as well, serving 7.3 million customers, and it also serves high-speed DSL Internet service to more than 3.1 million people. Ending several years’ worth of speculation and rumors, BellSouth entered into negotiations with AT&T in early 2006 regarding a potential merger, a deal valued at $67 billion.