Seven phone firms will join a research group.

A Texas newspaper reported that the telephone companies that were divested by AT&T; at the beginning of 1984 reportedly will join Austin, Tex.-based Microelectronics & Computer Technology, an advanced computer research consortium. The firms--Pacific Telesis, Ameritech, BellSouth, Bell Atlantic, Southwestern Bell, U.S. West and Nynex--will join MCC through their joint research and development arm, Bell Communications Research, or Bellcore, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Livingston, N.J.-based Bellcore declined comment, and MCC said only that a new member is expected to join the 20 other consortium members within two months.