The merger of BellSouth with AT&T also reflected broader trends in the telecommunications industry. The consolidation of smaller, regional players into national giants has been a defining feature of the industry over the past two decades. BellSouth’s acquisition was part of this trend, as larger companies sought to expand their customer bases and service offerings. This merger paved the way for BellSouth email users to access a broader array of services under the AT&T brand, although not without some growing pains during the transition.