My understanding is that Abraham Lincoln literally had all the nation's telegraph lines routed through DC during the civil war, and AT&T has been an honorary branch of the US government ever since.

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rdevilla 12 hours ago | parent [-]

That tradition was carried into the modern era.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_641A

	▲	timschmidt 12 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I'm aware. And the GP you're responding to's username is echelon. I think they're aware as well.