Bells sport new services to challenge cable firms

 

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The Baby Bells take on their former mother, AT&T, with new offerings of high-speed Net services and even video on demand. "It's a response to AT&T [that] says they want to own the customer." - Laurie Falconer, industry analyst with TeleChoice

Bells take another stab at TV services After previous attempts at video-on-demand services failed, many local phone companies are taking another stab at the technology in a push to compete with cable. Bells step up Net services to compete with cable Spurred by new competition and consumer demand for high-speed Internet connections, the big local phone companies are stepping up their focus on fast Net services. Data services boost Bell Atlantic profits The local phone company's third quarter profit climbs 10 percent as sales of data services soar. Previous coverage Bell Atlantic gets long distance OK in home state The Baby Bell wins the endorsement of New York state regulators to offer long distance service and capture a share of the state's $7 billion market