phone company

[/foʊn ˈkʌmpəni/]
nounpl: phone companies
companhia telefônica
1. a business enterprise that provides telephone services and communication infrastructure to customers
I called the phone company to report the outage in my area.
Liguei para a companhia telefônica para informar sobre a queda de energia na minha área.
2. a telecommunications corporation offering landline, mobile, or internet services
The phone company installed a new fiber optic network in the neighborhood.
A companhia telefônica instalou uma nova rede de fibra óptica no bairro.
In Brazil, the term 'companhia telefônica' historically referred to landline providers like Telebrás, but is now often replaced by 'operadora' when discussing mobile carriers like Vivo, Claro, and Tim. In the US, major phone companies like AT&T and Verizon have become household names and cultural references in how Americans access communication services.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
telecommunications companytelecom providertelephone providercarrier

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
companhia telefônica
Standard term used throughout Brazil
Brazil (informal)
operadora de telefonia
More commonly used in modern context for mobile operators
São Paulo
operadora
Often shortened to just 'operadora' in casual speech
Portugal
empresa de telecomunicações
Portuguese preference for 'empresa de telecomunicações' or 'operadora'

Related Words

telephone servicelandlinemobile providertelecommunicationstelecommunications infrastructure

Related Idioms & Phrases

call the phone company
phone company representative
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