MileHigh,
>> is anyone concerned that QWST will be relegated to simply selling bandwidth (a commodity) to those successful value added players (MCI/WC, Sprint, GTE, etc....) <<
If one were to be generous, they would suggest that perhaps QWST was taking the wise approach here, not committing to an uncertain future in the early days of what now appears to be the emergence of an all optical network. Right now, IMO, QWST is just hedging against early obsolescence of first and second generation upper (and lower) layer technologies, while they are having their day in the Sun in the race to lay silica. Many of the boxes being used to derive lambdae are still prototypes in nature, steam engines is the way one guy described them to me... and these same techs are now becoming "embedded" in the early Terabit routing kludges, as well.
Some carriers will be left carrying a lot of baggage on their books in a year or two, is the way I look at it, while QWST and a few of the other fiber barons will be sitting in a good position to do a leapfrog number at the "right time," when they have the physical layer covered.
Selling bandwidth is noble, extremely clean, and highly profitable, still. I like to point to the MFNX model in this regard. They maintain a highly focused approach to laying glass, almost exclusively, at this time, as well, and they too aren't doing bad from what I can tell. It may only be a matter of properly evaluating the state of the art, and timing, that we are looking at here, and not necessarily one of a longer term commitment. FWIW.
Regards, Frank C. |
