MikeM,
Let me chime in here with my comments, because I have the same confusion as you. My understanding is that all that MFNX is providing is dark fiber, i.e. transmission media without electronics, in the CO. That's not that earthshaking in my mind. It's most important, it seems to me, to the other carriers who lease dark fiber and interoffice transmission (the Bells, LVLT, QWST, WCOM) because now MFNX can provide the access faster and without administrative hassle. It gives a DLEC (Covad, NPNT, RTHM) a better option: they can either lease transport from BEL or from MFNX and not experience much difference in the time to market, but I don't think there's been a fundamental shift along the lines of allowing optical cross-connects into the CO. CLECs' DLCs and Remote Switching units have always been allowed in the CO, while FCC rules ban equipment from being collocated whose primary function is switching as opposed to transmission. Thus, I don't think this deal is putting anyone out of business or pushing MFNX into a technologically superior position. It's just good PR with the FCC. Bell Atlantic and other ILECs are trying to get the FCC to declare that the interoffice transmission market is competitive and therefore ILECs do not have to unbundle interoffice transmission for lease to CLECs and DLECs. This is more fodder for BEL's argument that interoffice transmission is very competitive.
As for your question about who is in the "collo" business, IMO, that's again the DLECs (COVD, NPNT, RTHM), who provide service by leasing the loop (premises to CO) and the transport/interoffice transmission. Since the DSLAM that they collocate in the CO is bought off the shelf, the only real asset they have is the collocation.
Of course, all this stuff is just off the top of my head, and I'm sure Frank will correct my errors. FWIW.
Doughboy. |
