Ellen Hertz

The AT&T Antitrust Consent Decree: Should Congress Change the Rules

I. IN TRO D U CTIO N ........................................................................... 233 II. THE RELEVANT HISTORY ......................................................... 235 III. POST-DECREE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS ........................ 240 IV. ANALYSIS OF THE MANUFACTURING RESTRICTIO N S .............................................................................. 243 A. Competitive Harms Likely from a Lifting of the M anufacturing Restriction ........................................... 243 B. Competitive Benefits Possible from a Lifting of the M anufacturing Restriction ........................................... 247 C. The Effects of Lifting the Manufacturing Restriction on Telecommunications R & D .......................... 249 D. Are There Less Onerous Alternatives to the Line-of-Business Restrictions? ....................... .................. 252 E. Balance of Trade Concerns ..................................................... 254 V . C O N C LU SIO N ................................................................................ 255