Right, telecom is a great example of where breaking up an entity benefited the consumer and prevented monopoly. /s (all the bells merged back in some form or another into present day AT&T and Verizon).
Mostly because the SEC has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to breaking up telco merges - and the FCC has been happily steered to help reinforce anti-competitive practices... like, for instance, blocking municipality internet build-outs.
I think a strong case can be made that breaking up Ma Bell has provided all sorts of benefits that have lasted since then. If nothing else, at least we have two behemoths in AT&T and Verizon rather than one.
