I started working for a local small independent telephone company in 1964 as a Apprentice lineman, I transfer into outside plant customer as a apprentice installer repairman in late 1965. That was before deregulation when we provided the phone, house wiring and every part of your telephone service including access to long distance calls., That all change in 1981 when the Federal Government allowed ATT to break up Bell Telephone and ruin one of the best public utility service companies that existed.
I now see many homes without local telephone service, almost all of them
its called progress, correct
As far as the future and information services now the doors are wide open