TRAC has been informed that former U.S. District Judge Harold H. Greene who presided over the break-up of the AT&T Bell System has passed away. The following statement can be attributed to Samuel A. Simon, Chairman of TRAC, the Telecommunications Research and Action Center:

            “Judge Harold Greene more than any one single individual was responsible for launching the new era in telecommunications that we enjoy today.  Harold Greene was the Judge who presided over the anti-trust case against AT&T brought by the Department of Justice and who then managed the “consent decree” between Justice and AT&T. He withstood incredible efforts by AT&T to maintain its national monopoly over every aspect of telephone service.  Without his courage and great intellect, we all might today still be limited to leasing our phones from AT&T. 

            Judge Greene kept the consumer interest foremost in his mind and in his decisions throughout his management of the case.     American consumers and the nation are indebted to him for his management of this case and in leading the American communications system into the new era of competition and consumer choice.”

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MEDIA CONTACT:

John Breyault, TRAC, johnb@trac.org, 202-263-2943

ABOUT TRAC:

The Telecommunications Research and Action Center (TRAC), founded in 1983, is a non-profit membership organization based in Washington, DC that promotes the interests of residential telecommunications customers. TRAC staff researches telecommunications issues and publishes rate comparisons to help consumers make informed decisions regarding their long distance and local phone service options. TRAC can be found on the web at http://www.trac.org.