John,
Thanks for that piece of information.
Re: >>QWST signs LightWave deal<<
This is another example of the dichotomy I referenced in my earlier post.
The business models for dark fiber- (and wavelength-) providers differs from those who provide productized (higher level) services. There is a natural conflict of interests and a clash of strategies that ensues when a company decides to do both.
Dark fiber companies are not burdened with the same kind of network planning overhead where higher layers of protocols are involved such as IP and ATM, voice, legacy data, etc. QWST is burning both ends of the candle by selling large blocks of layer one fiber capacity, and I fear they may get burnt in the middle at some point.
They are both selling dark fiber and attempting to make an impact in the traditional network provisions arena, along with the staffing of engineering and implementation departments and back office provisions, customer care, the broader context of global networking, and all that that implies, with regard to creating a frame work based on architectural requirements and the adherence to a multitude of standards compliances.
OTOH, other dark fiber companies such as MFNX are lean and mean, avoiding the need and the associated costs in providing electrified services. The latter know exactly what it is they want to sell, and to whom and for how much, and go after it directly, not as a means to financing other initiatives. In QWST's case, I believe that they are hurting their own "other initiatives" by providing ready access to the key to the whole puzzle to others, that is, they are providing their competitors with the raw fiber.
I think that QWST needs to decide what it is they want to do when they grow up.
Frank Coluccio |
