Rebundling Resources and Capabilities

Since, a decade a AT&T had been actively acquiring firms and companies to improve their services to customers and also to expand their businesses to become U.S largest company. However, FCC ( Federal Communications Commission has been holding them back and forth regarding the merging simply because FCC was concerned about the threats that would occur if AT&T monopolized the communication industry. AT&T managed to convinced FCC to approve Bellsouth merging in 2006 after one year of announcement made to the public, this include combining few other companies ( ie. Cingular and Yellowpages.com) into one company, AT&T Inc,.

In June 2007, AT&T discussed how wireless services are the core of "The New AT&T" and also declining sales of traditional home phone lines, AT&T plans to roll out various new media, which is the successful application today in most AT&T cellphone has, Video Share, U-Verse. AT&T also expand the high speed internet into rural areas across the country. "On 12 December 2008, AT&T acquired Wayport Inc,. a major provider of Internet hotspots in the United States. With the acquisition, AT&T's public Wi-Fi deployment climbed to 20,000 hotspots in the United States, the most of any U.S. provider" (1). For the same reason, AT&T is acquiring T-Mobile this year but still waiting to approval from FCC and CCIA. In the future, it will be only AT&T and Verizon left in the business.

Introduction

At&t was found on October 5, 1983 and officially transferred the ownership from Southwestern Bell Company on January 1,1984. However, it was operating under subsidiaries of Southwestern Bell Publications, Inc., a directory publisher; Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, Inc., in the business of mobile telephone service; and Southwestern Bell Telecommunications, Inc., focusing on marketing phone equipment to business customers. In 1987, SBC bought Metromedia Inc.'s cellular and paging business. This in turn boosted the company to third largest cellular-communications company in the United States; behind McCaw Cellular and Pacific Telesis.

At&t strategy still remain the same for today by acquisition of the other telecommunication company to expand their businesses, services and customers. The most recent acquisition is on March 20, 2011 which At&t acquired T-Mobile, this would result At&t monopolizing 43% of U.S mobile services. They slogan "Rethink Possible"  really making the consumer to re-think the possibility of one America, one company strategy. In business stand point it is a very good idea but consumers' stand point is a dangerous and risky if that happened, simply because if there is only one company in the U.S, At&t could charge any rates and any plans, and policies as they wish. Which also means At&t would control the industry of telecommunication and eventually will conquer the whole world telecommunication industry as well.