OT: Slightly
Hi Stitch,
Sort of like an Asia Forum reunion here on this thread with Robert, Sam, and you all posting. Now if we can just get Lawerence to throw a few insults my way(just kidding), it would really feel like the old Asia thread.
As you know, the telecommunications infrastructure sector is what I spend the most time on. I probably didn't word my comments quite right. What I meant to say, was that yes indeed for five solid years, it's been virtually nothing but talk, talk, talk, in terms of telecommunications upgrade spending in the last mile. So I totally agree that the spending has been very small in this sector, for a good five years.
But I have to tell you, it's a totally different landscape in 1999. The first real shot was fired when AT&T spent $107 billion(yes billion) on buying their way into becoming the largest cableco(MSO) in the world. They are now using their coaxial pipes to link themselves directly to their customers. First upgrades to two-way broadband HFC Internet access, and then they overlay local telephone (cable telephony) on top of it. It has got the telcos shaking in fear.
Up to that point, the telcos (Baby Bells, RBOCs, and ILECs) have only had to keep squashing the smaller Data CLECs as their competition. But they can't do this with AT&T. So the war is raging as we speak.
I am following the ramp-up in spending in all my telecommunication infrastructure companies. Most are reporting actual, very strong, growth in their access products portfolios. Finally. It's for real because I'm seeing the numbers.
Hope this explains myself a little better. Sorry to the thread if I'm getting off topic to much.
MikeM(From Florida) |
