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. Twelve years later, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 drove major changes in the competitive landscape. SBC expanded its U.S. presence through a series of acquisitions, including Pacific Telesis Group (1997) and Ameritech Corp. (1999). In 2005, SBC acquired AT&T Corp., creating the new AT&T, a leader in global communications for businesses.