BellSouth Corporation is an American telecommunications company and a subsidiary of AT&T. BellSouth was one of the original Bell Regional Operating Companies after the U.S. government forced the American Telephone & Telegraphic Company to divest itself of regional telephone companies. The company provided its services to the southern parts of the U.S. and has its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. BellSouth also operated an advertising and publishing unit, which printed and distributed phone books and directories. BellSouth was acquired by AT&T in 2006 in a deal worth US$ 86 billion.