FWIW rumor of $1B fiber pact between utilities, HWP & ORCL
BW0307 JAN 21,2000 16:29 PACIFIC 19:29 EASTERN
( BW)(CA-INFOWORLD) MEDIA ALERT/InfoWorld
Breaks Story On Alliance Between Utility Companies
And Computer Industry Giants
Business Editors & High-Tech Writers
SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 21, 2000--
Report Says Billion Dollar Pact Includes HP and Oracle,
Plans to Offer Voice, Data, TV Services Over Fiber This Summer
IDG's InfoWorld, the IT newsweekly that defines technology for
business, is reporting a story on a secret billion dollar pact between utility
companies and computer industry giants, including Hewlett-Packard and
Oracle Corp., to begin offering voice, data and TV services over fiber
beginning this summer, according to the report.
The story will be posted on www.infoworld.com on Jan. 21, and will
appear Jan. 24 on the front page of InfoWorld.
InfoWorld editor-at-large Ephraim Schwartz reports that the secret
alliance will allow utility companies to deliver telecommunications,
power, gas and other services on a single bill for hundreds of dollars less
per year from a trusted and familiar company.
According to Schwartz, the source said by combining high-speed fiber
optics, affordable service and consolidated billings, the offering will
dominate the telecommunications industry over the next decade. Hewlett
Packard will manage and offer hosting services while Oracle is creating
the databases to maintain the underlying infrastructure. The potential
multi-billion dollar revenues, that the consortium could generate, will be
divided up between the players, according to the report.
The nation's utility companies have access rights to every home and
business in their coverage area as well as a great deal of unused fiber
connections already in place -- giving them a huge advantage over rivals
in the network-provision market. The savings to consumers from a single
point of delivery may also be substantial. According to the report, the
initial charge for a 10 Mb connection to the home will be $13.95 per
month.
For the full text of the InfoWorld exclusive, go to
www.infoworld.com
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