Long distance telephone competition is heating up in the Southeast after BellSouth
made a historic move Friday. BellSouth is jumping into the long distance
business.
Friday morning, BellSouth launched long distance service in a couple Southeastern
states and the company promises it will soon follow suit in the rest of the region.

For now, customers in Georgia and Louisiana can use BellSouth to call people
across the country. Many of those customers already use the company for
their local calls, internet access and cell phone services.

BellSouth said all of the services are billed on one statement.

Many established long distance companies fought the long-distance expansion of
BellSouth. AT & T said the move would give BellSouth a monopoly.