Company History In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. That was the foundation of the company that would become AT&T – a brand that is now synonymous with innovation in communications. In 1984, the former AT&T agreed to divest its local telephone operations but retain its long distance, R&D and manufacturing arms. From this, SBC Communications Inc. (first known as Southwestern Bell Corp.) was born. Read More Investing in Our Country We’re committed to the development, growth and improvement of our country. We’re investing billions into the economy, providing quality jobs to over 200,000 people in the U.S. alone. We’re supporting the veterans who make our country stronger and providing disaster relief support to those who need it the most. We’ve invested more in the future of our country than any other public company. Read More Communities We're also improving lives by supporting our local communities. We want to raise high school graduation rates, and we’re preparing students for college and careers through our signature education initiative, AT&T Aspire. To date, we’ve committed $400 million to the program. And our It Can Wait campaign has inspired 21 million people to pledge that they will never text and drive.