SNET
Encyclopedia : S : SN : SNE : SNET
- For the French electric power company, see Société nationale d'électricité et de thermique (SNET)
The Southern New England Telephone Company (commonly referred to as SNET by its customers) started operations on January 27, 1878 as the District Telephone Company of New Haven. Since its inception, SNET has held a monopoly on most of the telephone services in the state of Connecticut; the only exception is in a small part of the state near the New York state border where Verizon Communications provides telephone services (formerly served by the Bell Operating Company New York Telephone, which became a part of NYNEX, which was absorbed into Bell Atlantic, now Verizon).
Prior to 1984, AT&T held 16.8% of SNET.
In 1998, SBC Communications, now AT&T, purchased SNET. SNET and Cincinnati Bell were the only two companies in the old Bell System that AT&T only had a minority stake in; therefore, neither is considered a Regional Bell operating company (RBOC). The Southern New England Telephone Company was held by Southern New England Telecommunications Corporation, which SBC had purchased in 1998. Cincinnati Bell is still independent of any RBOC.
Southern New England Telecommunications formed SNET America to compete for long distance service within Connecticut.
Southern New England Telecommunications is now known as AT&T East, while The Southern New England Telephone Company does business as AT&T Connecticut.
Brand history
| The Southern New England Telephone Co. In 1921, SNET is a minority holding, but it still used the Bell branding and was recognized as a part of AT&T. This is just one of the many Bell logos used by AT&T until 1983. This version of the logo was used up to 1939. |
| SNET In 1984, AT&T divests ownership of its local operating companies. SNET becomes a company wholly owned by Southern New England Telecommunications Corp. SNET licenses rights to the Bell trademark to Aastra Technologies, who begins to sell telephones under the "Sonecor" (Southern New England Telecommunications Corp) brand. |
| SNET The Telecommuncations Act of 1996 is signed. SBC Communications purchases SNET in 1998. |
| SBC SNET In 2001, SBC begins to rebrand all of its Bells to reflect their being a part of a national telecommuncations provider. SBC eventually drops the names of all of its Bells in late 2002, and adds the title "d/b/a SBC (name of state or region)" to the official names of its companies. Connecticut regulators request SNET be retained, and SBC SNET remains the official d/b/a name of SNET until 2006. |
 | AT&T Connecticut In 2005, completed its acquisition of AT&T Corp., forming AT&T, Inc. AT&T changes the d/b/a names of its Bell Operating Companies on January 1, 2006, resulting in "AT&T Connecticut" replacing "SBC SNET". |
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