Calvin, I'd like to respond to the Yahoo post. This Yahoo yutz misses the point about WCOM's market. WCOM does not target the consumer segment, but rather the business segment. It has end-to-end connectivity to something like 40,000 buildings around the world (the correct number is in the 10K, which the Yahoo-ster here obviously thinks is a simply a nice jog). With this end-to-end connectivity (including underseas cables), WCOM can do what very few others can -- offer whatever price it wants because it pays no tolls. Also, businesses are a much steadier source of revenue -- they don't wait until Sundays to make all their calls, and the churn is lower than with individual consumers. Also, WCOM can sign up businesses for long-term contracts, locking in predictable revenue streams. Can't do that quite as easily with consumers. And, in any event, the consumer land-line enjoyed by the RBOCs is a thing of the past. Wireless will make "the last mile" irrelevant, leaving the RBOCs to flail as the toll revenues they receive fall through the floor. In short, I totally disagree with the Yahoo poster, as I often do. All JMHO, of course.
RK |
