It was barely mentioned in the paper, but on August 31, the FCC announced that companies such as Verizon, AT&T, and Qwest would no longer need separate local and long distance service operating companies. 

"The old framework included requirements that the BOCs separate their local telephone and long distance operations, which is at odds with a market environment where local and long distance services increasingly are marketed and provided on a bundled basis."

The announcement established a new framework "designed to protect customer interests and allow the LECs and BOCs to respond to marketplace demands more efficiently and effectively."