from hookswitch to grave
a day ago
- AT&T built a vertical monopoly through acquisitions like Western Electric, controlling telephone manufacturing and supply.
- Western Electric became the sole manufacturer of Bell System equipment, making everything from phones to cables.
- Telephones were leased and returned to Western Electric for refurbishment or disposal, with millions recycled annually.
- Nassau Smelting and Refining, acquired by Western Electric in 1931, recycled scrap metal from decommissioned telephone equipment.
- Nassau provided a significant portion of the Bell System's copper and lead, especially during wartime shortages.
- The plant caused pollution, leading to environmental cleanup under New York's Voluntary Cleanup Program after the Bell System's 1984 divestiture.
- The site was permanently capped with engineered barriers, restricting future use to commercial or industrial only.