Ameritech
| File:Ameritech Logo - 1993.svg | |
| Ameritech | |
| Formerly | American Information Technologies Corporation Ameritech Corporation SBC Teleholdings, Inc. |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Template:NYSE was | |
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Predecessor | American Telephone and Telegraph Company |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Defunct | Template:End date and age |
| Fate | Merged with SBC Communications |
| Successor | SBC Communications Inc. |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Products | Telephone, Internet, Television |
| Parent | AT&T Corporation (1983) SBC/AT&T Inc. (1999–2002) |
| Subsidiaries | Illinois Bell Indiana Bell Michigan Bell Ohio Bell Pacific Bell Wisconsin Bell |
AT&T Teleholdings, Inc., previously known as Ameritech Corporation, was a significant entity in the American telecommunications sector established following the 1984 AT&T divestiture. As one of the seven Regional Bell Operating Companies, Ameritech dominated key markets across the Midwest until its acquisition by SBC Communications in 1999. This acquisition eventually led to the 2006 merger with AT&T Corporation, creating the modern-day AT&T.
Overview
Ameritech functioned as a holding company overseeing five former Bell System companies located in the Midwest:
- Illinois Bell Telephone Company
- Indiana Bell Telephone Company, Inc.
- Michigan Bell Telephone Company
- Ohio Bell Telephone Company
- Wisconsin Bell, Inc.
While initially preserving the traditional Bell brand identities, Ameritech consolidated its branding in 1993 by phasing out these legacy names in favor of a unified Ameritech brand across all service areas, improving brand consistency and operational efficiency.
The corporation extended its reach into wireless communications through Ameritech Cellular (formerly Ameritech Mobile Communications), providing services in major metropolitan regions within its territory. Additionally, during the 1990s, Ameritech diversified its offerings by entering the cable television market through a partnership known as Americast.
Starting in 1994, Ameritech Advanced Data Services (AADS) managed a Tier 1 Internet Exchange Point based in Chicago that supported both academic and commercial networks, strengthening Ameritech’s role in data networking. Following the merger with SBC, AADS was rebranded as the SBC Network Access Point.
The company’s headquarters were situated in leased offices above the Chicago Mercantile Exchange at 30 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, complemented by additional locations at 225 W Randolph St and 2000 W. Ameritech Center Drive in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "AIT," Ameritech maintained a strong market presence.
Merger with SBC Communications
In May 1998, Ameritech announced plans to merge with SBC Communications in a transaction valued at $62 billion that reshaped the telecommunications landscape. Regulatory bodies mandated conditions to preserve competition, including requirements for both companies to provide local telephone services in thirty markets outside their existing regions within thirty months or incur a $1.18 billion fine. Furthermore, to alleviate concerns over market concentration—since SBC already held a controlling interest in Cellular One—Ameritech divested its Chicago-area cellular operations to GTE in 1999; GTE subsequently merged with Bell Atlantic to form Verizon in 2000.
The Federal Communications Commission granted approval for the merger on October 6, 1999, and the consolidation was finalized two days later on October 8. At that time, Richard Notebaert served as Chairman and CEO of Ameritech; he would later become CEO of rival firm Qwest in 2002. This merger represented a strategic milestone that significantly enhanced both companies’ market positions within the telecommunications industry.
Discontinuation of the Ameritech Brand
On January 15, 2003, Ameritech Corp. was rebranded by SBC Communications as SBC Teleholdings, Inc., conducting business under the name SBC Midwest. After SBC completed its acquisition of AT&T Corp., the company underwent another renaming on January 15, 2006, becoming AT&T Teleholdings, Inc. and adopting the trade name AT&T Midwest.
While several Ameritech subsidiaries preserved their original corporate names, they operate branded as AT&T entities; for instance, Ameritech Advanced Services now functions as "AT&T Advanced Solutions."
In 2006, AT&T Teleholdings absorbed Pacific Telesis and Southern New England Telecommunications, thereby unifying ownership of Pacific Bell (including Nevada Bell) and Southern New England Telephone under one corporate umbrella.
In popular culture
The designation Ameritech was featured in the American miniseries Amerika, where it represented one of the self-governing regions established following a fictional Soviet occupation, corresponding to the Great Lakes region.
See also
- Ameritech Library Services (Dynix)
External links
- Pages with broken file links
- Bell System
- AT&T subsidiaries
- History of Chicago
- Companies based in Chicago
- 1983 establishments in Illinois
- Defunct telecommunications companies of the United States
- Telecommunications companies established in 1983
- American companies established in 1983
- 1999 mergers and acquisitions
- Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange
- 5
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment