THE NEW RBOCs

As AT&T combines with SBC, it's time once again to choose a taxonomic name for the new species. Historically, the industry hasn't been good at naming its members. For instance, we all understand the term “independent operating company” to refer to non-Bell incumbent telcos, but taken literally, it could describe anything from Alcatel to Krispy Kreme. And everyone knows what an MSO is by rote, but a “multiple systems operator” could be, say, a carny who knows how to run both the Ferris wheel and the Tilt-a-Whirl. For years, regional Bell operating companies have complained that “RBOC” is a misnomer because they're far more than regional. No one really listened, but after these creatures mate with nationwide interexchange carriers, they really won't be RBOCs any longer. So what do we call them? Especially as they add video services, any accurate name might sound too non-specific. Certainly companies shouldn't be allowed to come up with their own labels. (Remember “integrated communications providers,” or ICPs? Neither do we.) One Verizon spokesman floated the term NICCs, for “nationally integrated communications companies.” A trade mag journalist suggested plain old “BOCs,” but since the trade mag's own name inadequately describes its focus, the advice is suspect. Because we'll never be able to break the habit anyway, why not keep the name RBOC and change the R to stand for something else: Reassembled? Recalcitrant? Would the NICCs object to being called “really big operating companies?”