Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : LAST MILE TECHNOLOGIES - Let's Discuss Them Here -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: lml who wrote (4490)	7/7/1999 8:45:00 AM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12823

lml, Your post requires more attention than a rush job as a reply. Let me take the time later on to review it and get back to you. You raised a number of good points that deserve responses. Frank

To: lml who wrote (4490)	7/7/1999 9:10:00 AM
From: SDR-SI	Respond to of 12823

lml, Good points and great analogy. The important questions, I guess, include: What is an ISP (now and in the future)? What do people like us think an ISP is or should be (not that our opinion really matters to the rest of the world)? What do the ISP's (including AOL) think they will be? And, are there really several definable different varieties of xSP's (ISP's, on-line service providers, restricted service providers, etc)? To a degree a lot of that consideration might seem to be very "non-last-mile", but yesterday's LCOS/RCNC alliance announcement and prior announcements by various box manufacturers indicating that they have allocated (polite word for "sold") keyboard or desktop position allocations to xSP's of various ilk, make it clear that the ultimate goal of these SP's is to back up through the last mile and capture the user through the entire process. With apologies for analogy over-use, it appears that some want to make sure that when you leave your house, you use the roads that take you just to their restaurant; and others want to go one step further to be certain of your patronage, and will provide a captive vehicle at your front door to pick you up whenever you get hungry. I really can't convince myself whether, with the above movement, the nature of the xSP's will be determined by the types of available last mile services, or whether the scope of last mile services will ultimately be determined by the xSP's. A lot of further thought and consideration is clearly necessary. JHMO Steve