A 
telephone company (or 
telco) is a company providing 
telecommunications services such as 
telephony and 
data communications.  Most of the largest telcos are or were at one time nationalized or state-regulated 
monopolies.
With the advent of cellular telephony, telcos now include wireless carriers.
Most telcos are now also ISPs, and the distinction may disappear completely with time.
The attitudes of many telcos were satirized by the comedian Lily Tomlin with the quote:
- "We don't care.
- We don't have to.
- We're the phone company."
Telcos include:
See also:
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