*AV*--MRVC is certainly a good choice to consider for the slot, maybe even at the spot PAIR held. The Telecom field is really wide open and I really should include soem on the list. However, my limited experience and expertise does not allow me to take that step, yet. I have watched MRVC for months and seen its own brand of volatility which makes it a possibly good candidate.
Even though I have been convinced to push PAIR aside, the following news release is something to ponder.
Wednesday June 3, 9:03 pm Eastern Time
PairGain sees Sprint plans as positive
TUSTIN, Calif., June 3 (Reuters) - PairGain Technologies Inc. said late Wednesday that it views Sprint Corp.'s (FON - news) plans to accelerate the introduction of a high-speed phone and data network as a ''very positive development for the company.''
The company was responding to investor concerns that Sprint's plans will reduce demand for its own products among local phone carriers, which sent PairGain stock plunging more than $2 in heavy trading to a new low Tuesday.
The stock regained some lost ground Wednesday, closing up $1-3/8 at $14-1/2, but remains well below its year high of $31.
On Tuesday, Sprint announced plans to move away from its traditional voice-transmission network and introduce in 1999 a new system able to carry high-speed voice, video and data communications using Internet technology.
PairGain is a leading supplier of digital subscriber line (DSL) systems, an emerging technology used to transmit high-speed
data using standard copper phone wires into homes and businesses.
In its announcement, Sprint embraced DSL equipment as part of its plans, but hired Cisco Systems Inc. as the primary contractor on the network construction project. Cisco offers a rival set of DSL products in competition to PairGain's.
In a statement released Wednesday, PairGain said that Baby Bells, other local phone companies and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will continue to deploy to provide high-speed services to their residential and business customers.
''The Sprint announcement is perceived positively by PairGain as it should spur the incumbent service providers to react more quickly in light of the impending competitive threat to their existing customer bases,'' PairGain stated.
It was using phone industry jargon to suggest that PairGain will benefit from the need for Sprint competitors to match the long distance carrier by acquiring DSL systems of their own to parry Sprint's thrust into local phone and data markets.
The company press release went on to say that Sprint's plans will have a positive impact on the business market for high-speed connections.
The company said it expects that other telephone companies that will compete with Sprint will soon adopt strategies of their own for creating high-speed voice and data networks.
It said it believes that except in the case of dense metropolitan areas, U.S. local phone service will remain under the control of the existing local phone companies, which in most cases remains the Baby Bells or GTE Corp.
PairGain noted that it is the dominant supplier of DSL-based high-speed connections to the local telecom service providers.
Andrew
I hope patience doesn't bite me in the butt again<GGG>. |
