What Does Bell Operating Company (BOC) Mean?
A Bell operating company (BOC) is any one of a group of 22 original local telephone companies that existed prior to 1984 after AT&T was divided up in 1983. Each BOC was given the right to provide local telephone service in a given geographic areas. The companies initially existed as AT&T subsidiaries and were called the Bell System. AT&T divested them to improve competition. The BOCs are not allowed to manufacture equipment and initially were not allowed to provide long-distance service.
Techopedia Explains Bell Operating Company (BOC)
Bell operating companies referred to all the telephone companies owned by American Telephone & Telegraph prior to the United States vs. AT&T, a U.S. Department of Justice antitrust suit.
