General Telephone and Electronics Corporation - GTE - Specimen Stock Certificate

Specimen Stock printed by American Bank Note Company. Incorporated in 1935.

GTE Corporation, formerly known as General Telephone & Electronics Corporation (1955–1982), held the distinction of being the largest independent telephone provider in the United States during the era of the Bell System. Established in 1926, with roots dating back even further, the company continued its operations until 2000 when it was acquired by Bell Atlantic, which subsequently rebranded as Verizon.

The Associated Telephone Utilities Company, headquartered in Wisconsin, was founded in 1926. However, it faced bankruptcy in 1933 during the Great Depression and underwent restructuring in 1934, emerging as General Telephone. In 1991, GTE acquired Continental Telephone (ConTel), the third largest independent telephone company.

Beyond its telephone services, GTE owned Automatic Electric, a supplier of telephone equipment comparable to Western Electric, and Sylvania Lighting, the sole company under its ownership not focused on communications. GTE’s operating companies delivered local telephone services across various regions of the United States, similar to how American Telephone & Telegraph provided local services through its 22 Bell Operating Companies.

In 1997, GTE acquired BBN Planet, a pioneering Internet service provider. This division was renamed GTE Internetworking and later spun off into an independent entity called Genuity (a name reused from another Internet company acquired by GTE in 1997) to comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations following the merger of GTE and Bell Atlantic, which led to the formation of Verizon.