Telco

/ˈtɛlkoʊ/ noun

Definition

Short for telecommunications company; a business that provides telephone, internet, or other communication services.

Etymology

American English abbreviation from the 1960s, combining 'tel(ephone)' and 'co(mpany)'. Emerged as the telecommunications industry expanded and needed concise business terminology.

Kelly Says

This corporate portmanteau reflects how the tech industry loves creating snappy abbreviations - it sounds more dynamic than saying 'telephone company' and helped rebrand traditional utilities as modern tech firms.

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