Well, if we knew the answer to those doubts then we'd
all be pretty rich.
WorldNet got off to a bad start but seems to be doing very
well now. The credit card business was losing money and
I don't know if that's doing any better.
However, don't forget that the Bells and GTE and all the
other locals have the similar strengths to T: they all have
good internet service, branded credit and calling cards, etc.
On the other hand, they all share some of the same problems:
cumbersome bureaucracies, thin profits on new services when
the startup expenses are considered, etc.
That's why I think that, if you feel it's a tossup, then pick
the two or three or even ten telcos you like the best, buy some
of each, set up a free DRIP and leave it alone--of course, that's
only a good idea for very long term investors--and you can't go
wrong. After all, the telco business is definitely going to grow
at a very rapid pace around the world and there's going to be room
for a lot of successful companies, not the least of which is T.
Just remember, though, that is LONG TERM because the short term is
anybody's guess. |
