Will AT&T Get Rid of the Yellow Pages?

AT&T has hinted that it may sell off parts of its business that are performing poorly. Perhaps the most obvious candidate is the good old-fashioned Yellow Pages.

Yes, the fat phone book that you probably toss into the recycling bin after it has been out on the porch for a few weeks. Randall L. Stephenson, AT&T’s chief executive, said during the company’s quarterly earnings call that the company would accelerate its growth by getting rid of or restructuring “low-performing and nonstrategic assets.” The Yellow Pages would fit that category. AT&T took a write-down of $2.9 billion for the fourth quarter of 2011 to reflect the declining value of its directories business, which includes the Yellow Pages in print and online.