<p>Some key dates in the history of AT&T Inc.</p><p>1984: AT&T's national telephone monopoly splits into eight regional operators and a national long-distance company.</p><p>1996: Congress passes landmark Telecommunications Act, allowing for consolidation among regional Bell operating companies.</p><p>1997: SBC Communications Inc. buys Pacific Telesis Group.</p><p>1998: SBC buys Southern New England Telecommunications. AT&T buys TCI cable system.</p><p>1999: SBC buys Ameritech. AT&T Corp. announces deal to buy MediaOne cable system.</p><p>April 2000: SBC and BellSouth form joint venture for wireless operations, Cingular Wireless LLC, with SBC taking a 60 percent stake.</p><p>2002: AT&T Corp. sells cable division, AT&T Broadband, to Comcast Corp. for about $29 billion in stock.</p><p>Feb. 2004: Cingular Wireless outbids Vodafone PLC, agrees to pay $41 billion for AT&T Wireless.</p><p>Jan. 2005: SBC Communications Inc. agrees to buy AT&T Corp. for $16 billion, assumes AT&T name.</p><p>March 5, 2006: AT&T agrees to buy BellSouth Corp. for $67 billion stock.</p><p>____</p><p>Source: Company histories, AP archives.</p>

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