Bell System

The Bell System was a large network of telephone companies and services in the United States, established by the Bell Telephone Company in the late 19th century. It aimed to provide widespread, reliable landline telephone service by coordinating various regional companies under one umbrella, operated predominantly by AT&T. The system included infrastructure like wires and exchanges that connected millions of customers. It was known for technological innovations and monopolized much of the U.S. telecommunications industry until antitrust actions in the 1980s led to its breakup into smaller, independent companies.