>>Eye in the sky and router applications.Those are the big buck places of interest.Since the name confers some military background I wonder if the technology didn't originate there also????????????????????<<
Mr. Slater,
Your comments above, "eye in the sky", "big buck" and "military background", makes me think if FTEL will be capable to cope with what it is needed to become the significant player we are expecting it to become. (Yes I am included in such expectation, but the market keeps telling me otherwise).
One concern I have is that FTEL seems to be losing what I view as a "window of opportunity" to establish itself as a force to reckoned with in this new industry.
I am willing to accept the fact that FTEL has a better technology based on the published news, result of evaluations etc.
However, I continue to see a considerable stock price deterioration, with weak support. That is a fact not a speculation.
To my point here:
The current "wired world", (as far as telephony goes), includes The US/CANADA, Western Europe and Metropolitan Latin America, Asia, and perhaps parts of Africa (i.e. South Africa and the like).
While such market is huge, so are the competitors. As examples I have given the TELMEX giant in Mexico, who is not about to "roll-over and die" giving up their monopolies, (in many instances, "assisted by the local governments"). Even Deutsche Telecomm, will not sit idle, as we have seen and chances are that they will probably buy into more little telephony companies. The local US companies will do the same.
Not to forget that in other countries, there is no "DOJ" (Department of Justice), telling the big ol'e local blue meannies, that they can not "bump" out competitors.
What is FTEL waiting for? I am shifting in my opinion in that I believe we need to have a higher profile, so when the time comes, some big suitor will come and offer so much money for FTEL that we will not be able to say no, simply because of the amount of money they will strategically place in our mouths to "quiet down any and all possible concerns".
The alternative of establishing a world wide network throughout the world (via FNET, as the plan seems to indicate), begins to be somehow questionable, in light of the possible legal issues that the TELMEX example seems to demonstrate, and possible other regulatory concerns.
This is strictly if FTEL/FNET attempts this on its own.
Let me also add, to the above idea (in terms of the current "wired world"), that there is an even far larger market when you consider the amount of people/regions of the world that are not yet "wired".
The cost of yet needed infrastructure to reach these places/people, is of gargantuan proportions.
Mr. Slater comments: "eye in the sky"? "Big bucks"? "Military background"?
Enter Teledesic, (and others), main partners, Bill Gates, Craig McCaw, and Boeing.
The team above are very well armed to cover the earth (with their low flying satellites) and to finance its costs (plus or minus 9 billion U.S.$).
Iridium is another company deploying satellites, below are a number of sites for further consideration: (including Teledesic's and Iridium's own web sites, the third one seems to be a neutral evaluation of the idea, while it claims not to be complete, it will give you an idea where the ball is going)
Teledesic, Private co. not slated to start operations until 2002:
teledesic.com
Iridium, Public company, start offering services in September 1998:
iridium.com
This is the "independent" site evaluating and comparing the above two companies:
ee.surrey.ac.uk
Now, are we ready to compete with these dragons, legislation, regulations, both local and offshore, and then the wireless technological competitor?
Where are we going to fit? Moreover, if we do have a niche, why is the price stalling? What are we doing to counter all this?
In addition, you have mentioned video and other applications, while I am not questioning the technology, I am questioning the strategy.
Video capabilities tell me that we are getting into the turf of many other giants, such as the media and entertainment juggernauts.
I keep seeing the hand of Microsoft in the horizon, I mean they bought Web-TV, they have MSNBC, and in the background there is TELEDESIC.
So where is FTEL in all this? (Including its direct reflection in the stock price) The window, in my eyes may be closing.
Is it possible that we are working in such a "secret" project that we must keep a stealth profile, and for the time being, we must say "never mind that stock price"?
If such is the case, then why did we hire a prominent PR firm?
This reminds me of a scene with Harrison Ford, in one of his Indiana Jones movies, where he is facing this horrible ugly looking and mean ol'e swordsman, who very capably demonstrates his abilities with the big knife, giving an impressive display of moves reminiscent of venerable "katas", impeccable form, technique, and all that "jazz".
Indeed, a scary thought to face such an expert in martial arts... except, Indy, looking as if he says, "give me a break", pulls out his trusted old gun and fires repeatedly at the huge man, with no further pomp and protocol, killing him dead, terminating the never materialized threat.
If the future of telecommunication will be in the form of Satellites, to begin in the near future, would it not be advisable that Franklin begins to start getting a significant customer base, so when one of these giants, come to us (assuming we have something to offer), such client base would be an important asset to have.
Therefore, who cares if the technology is not the best, the current competitors seem to be telling us, we are getting the customer base, that will be valuable.
Why then, if FTEL seems to be leading the technological race, haven't we started to get the customer base, we need paying clients, the reason being, is that these other companies are getting customers, slowly, not so hot technology etc. but at worst, the stock market seems to be listening.
Are we dialing the wrong number? have we been disconnected?, or is it simply a case of gross misunderstanding and market inefficiency the reason why the stock price is where it is.
My question is this: IS FTEL MAKING ME MONEY? it is perhaps unfair, but it is the bottom line.
Do not answer with: "if you do not like it then sell", I know that, and I could do that, but I am looking for a logical argument in order to reach the correct answer to:
Is it a case of market inefficiency? Or are we disconnected?
I am not whining, I am not looking for "hand holding" whatever I do is my own responsibilities, so save the flames.
I question the wisdom of the strategy taken so far, this in view of the price deterioration of the stock. I am sure not happy for many.
Now in closing I will copy below a copy of a small piece of one of the links found in the # 3 link above, I am including the specific link to the entire article to which this is the end piece, so if you want to enjoy the whole thing, do not read the letter below, if, however you do not have the time to read the whole think, read the letter below:
And please, do not ask me: "what is my point". Please...
The article refers to some professors at Stanford and their way of life, as studious PhD's and researchers, this is the closing end in which one of the Protagonists writes what is below...
I could not help but relate this to the all the technological wealth that sometimes is passed around in this thread, in a valid attempt to justify the existence of Franklin, which for the most part I tend to agree, even if I do not understand a third of the damned technical stuff.
However, I do understand (at least I think so), that the prime reason I am invested is to make money, so I have been a long investor of FTEL in and out, all successfully, and for that I am grateful to Mr. Peters and everyone at FTEL.
This time around I must admit that I have committed capital sin against my own investment rules, (and I am not blaming anyone it is all my doing). As much as I want to keep supporting FTEL, the price of the stock keeps going down....
If you do not see the point, then at least enjoy the read, there is a message, if you do not "get it", then take it as homework....
While I am NOT, the character below, nor I am about to do what he did, one could easily make the case that after suffering the Chinese torture of late, (in re: FTEL), one would be driven to the same deed.
The case could be made for those Techies that keep on suggesting the reasons why, FTEL is "allerbest", yet the stock price refuses to believe it. One of these fine days their brain will drive them to the same fate.... Read on:
And please.... It is all in humor so do not really believe it.
Copy of a part of a piece found in:
wired.com
start of copy:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. Hargreaves,
I have been thinking very carefully about my life. My angels have left. I can feel it in the core of my existence.
All my life I have been looking for a great mystery to decipher. I felt that if I could just achieve one major triumph of insight, it would be profoundly satisfying. Something of truly lasting significance. But I have failed to do that.
If it was going to happen, it would have happened by now. I'm already too old to make that transcendental leap. The window of opportunity has closed. I do hope, however, that my work will be a foundation for others.
Tonight I will ingest a bottle of Dilaudid that I have been stockpiling from my sleeping prescription. I have rigged up a timed device to set the house on fire.
I must tell you that the natural disasters we have been experiencing have been very unsettling to me. I have never been very religious, but these events seem to have a life of their own. The aftershocks are unbearable. I am on edge every second of the day. I am sick and depressed.
I must also warn you that Dr. Wick is clinically insane. The constant stream of vituperation and invective that pours forth from him cannot be the product of a "normal" mind. He has been wearing me down. He has threatened to kill me a number of times. If he is indicted for my murder, you may use your own best judgment.
You remember The Museum of Jurassic Technology that I told you about? As you leave, there is an exhibit detailing the pathogenic effect of the inhalation of a spore by a large West African ant. While foraging on the jungle floor, by chance the ant inhales a microscopic spore, which lodges in its brain and begins to replicate throughout its body and nervous system. For the first time in its life, the ant is driven to leave the floor of the jungle. It climbs high into the branches of lush green foliage, traveling to places it never would have gone under normal circumstances. Finally, as the spores begin to consume the ant's entire body and nervous system, the ant clamps its mandibles to a leaf. In the last stage, a large, fire-orange tusk, heavily laden with spores, grows from its head, then finally ruptures, raining the spores down all over the floor of the jungle. I am that ant.
And I have planted a spore. I have introduced a virus into all the computer systems on our network. It is very subtle, virtually undetectable, and will produce minuscule cyclic errors in floating-point calculations on all of the workstations. These errors are not random. They follow a distribution that I derived, designed to slightly perturb the results of all the work being done on campus. The virus will inject a chaos factor into the research of the entire institution. I am convinced that in tracking down these errors, the faculty and students will be shaken out of their routines, which I'm hoping will have a positive effect. Each one will be forced to look at his or her data from a slightly new perspective. Forced to stop and ruminate. These are the spores that I have shed.
Goodbye,
Peter Jakab
I take a big drink of red wine and watch the candle dance on the dark wood table. The waitress brings my pappardelle with Italian sausage. I feel slightly nauseated. It would be too much to ask that Wick be convicted for murder. And if he does go down, would I really be able to sit back and not say anything? But without Jakab, I have no ally against him. I'm back in the belly of the beast. Glass and chrome flash from the traffic out on University Avenue. I shuffle the pages of Peter's letter in my hands. Life on the cutting edge is dangerous. You can bleed.
Michael Meloan (mdmeloan@aol.com) has published fiction in Buzz Magazine, LA Weekly, Chic, and Caffeine. He has also written for Joe Frank's National Public Radio show.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
end of copy.
Now, doesn't it sound familiar?, "...life in the cutting edge is dangerous. You can bleed...."
Does a "falling knife remind anyone of anything closely related to FTEL?
Have a good week end, and a blast.... I am going to play golf now.
Stock market ? I need no steeenking stock market! |
