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 : The New Qualcomm - a S&P500 company -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: gdichaz who wrote (4914)	1/7/2000 10:35:00 PM
From: Ruffian	Respond to of 13582

Opinion: Supercharging Into The Future By Bill Menezes Wow, I leave you people in the wireless industry alone for 10 months and you go wild. Last February, when I moved from Wireless Week to Multichannel News (both owned by Cahners Business Information) for a stint covering cable TV technology, one of the biggest wireless industry stories was consolidation: cellular, PCS and paging carriers included. Cable was in the midst of its own merger-mania and on the cusp of its biggest technological advances ever–an industry-wide migration to standards-based, broadband networks and services. I figured that there wasn't too much I was missing on the wireless side. Besides, in covering broadband I had plenty of exposure to that industry's increasing reliance on wireless: Motorola acquired cable equipment mainstay General Instrument; telecom players MCI WorldCom Inc. and Sprint Corp. bought up multichannel multipoint distribution systems spectrum–originally intended for “wireless cable” TV service–to use for “last-mile” voice and Internet connectivity; and booming wireless carrier AT&T became the dominant force in cable. But now I find out the wireless industry itself has been up to a lot, besides supercharging its own stock values. To wit: • Vodafone AirTouch plc CEO Chris Gent changed from Sir Walter Raleigh to Sir Francis Drake, moving from a feel-good deal (creating a national U.S. wireless operator with Bell Atlantic Mobile) to a hostile bid for German giant telecom Mannesmann. • VoiceStream Wireless sought to create a virtually national GSM footprint by acquiring Omnipoint Communications and Aerial Communications Inc., putting itself in a league with Sprint PCS and AT&T Wireless Services. It's nice to see that some predictions came true. (Does this mean we'll finally see flat rate, national GSM pricing plans?) • Wireless data changed from a wallflower to the poster child for potentially huge growth–at least in Wall Street's eyes– of the wireless Internet. I wonder if all those stock speculators excited about wireless data ever heard of AWS' poorly performing PocketNet service. Was it just ahead of its time, or will new offerings such as Sprint PCS' Wireless Web hit the same levels of acceptance? • Nextel Communications began its financial and legal campaign to snatch C-Block PCS spectrum won, but not yet paid for, by NextWave Personal Communications. Nextel apparently aims to transform itself into the world's first $30 billion designated entity. • Qualcomm's stock price went ballistic. Early last year there were a number of market-watchers moaning about the company's prospects for growth, given that once Qualcomm exited its infrastructure and handset businesses all it would have would be a CDMA chip enterprise and a measly royalty and licensing-revenue stream. Oops! • The hands-free battle changed from a relatively quiet debate to public vilification of the wireless industry by national radio shows, anti-car phone legislation by the likes of Hilltown Township, Pa., and the rise of a social trend Wired magazine has dubbed “cell phone rage.” Why can't we all just get along? • MCI WorldCom finally unveiled a long-term wireless strategy: Buy Sprint and SkyTel! • Vendors moved further toward actually commercializing advanced technologies such as third-generation wireless and Bluetooth. One of the first things I noticed after my return was the abundance of Bluetooth products touted at last week's Consumer Electronics Show ready for market this year. Can't wait to slap down a couple hundred dollars for that Bluetooth headset! The bottom line seems to be that while I was gone the wireless industry has become an even more challenging, exciting place. I'm glad to be back. E-mail: bmenezes@cahners.com

To: gdichaz who wrote (4914)	1/8/2000 11:43:00 AM
From: Eric L	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13582

DDI, IDO LAUNCH PACKET-BASED CDMA By Vanessa Clark - 07 January 2000 totaltele.com DDI and IDO, both Japanese cellular operators, are set to launch their packet-based CDMA service - called PacketOne - on their combined nationwide network today. The move will allow them to better compete with rival NTT DoCoMo which today announced that it has over 3 million subscribers for its wireless Internet iMode service. The packet-based PacketOne service will allow users with Internet-enabled handsets to download information off the Web at speeds of up to 64kbps. Users will also only be charged for the volume of information transmitted, rather than the time connected to the network, said the companies. Equivalent to General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) on GSM networks, PacketOne makes the transition from circuit switched traffic to packet-based traffic on cellular networks, so making more efficient use of cellular channels. DDI and IDO have committed to fitting all their cdmaOne handsets with Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) browsers to access the Internet. Currently the companies offer WAP services using Phone.com's browser and server suite on their cdmaOne network, the first in Japan, launched in April last year. The two companies allied to build the nationwide network last year, and in December also announced they would merge with KDD in October to better take on NTT. - Eric -