The Bell Operating Companies have had their hopes of competing with AT&T in the long-distance telephone market dashed by the US Justice Department: in February, Justice proposed that the restriction be lifted, but after a howl of protest led by AT&T, it has changed its mind and decided that Judge Greene should look at requests to go long-distance on a case-by-case basis; as he has up to now looked very coldly on any such request, only a very limited lifting of the blanket prohibition is likely to be made.
