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Technology Stocks : Nortel Networks (NT) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: telecomguy who wrote (4293)	1/20/2000 12:28:00 PM
From: The Phoenix	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14638

You are right I'm not talking about the bulk bandwidth sold carrier to carrier - I'm talking about the connectivity to the network from consumers and businesses. Carriers (as you call them) the IXC's are doing everything they can to sell services to users - not just bandwidth to LEC's and ISP's. So the view you're taking - although accurate for a specific portion of the business - focuses on only a discrete part of the business and for what it's worth - not the big revenue generator. FREESERVE is not a carrier in the sense that you're talking about and if you go back and read my post I don't position them as such. I do find it irritating that you're attempting to put words in my mouth I have not said. What I did say however is that providers like Freeserve will gain market share..they will steal customers from tradional carriers and incumbent ISP's leveraging a services based model. This will force incumbents to follow or face the probablility of losing market share. Now, if the carriers (IXC's in your mind) wish to attract consumer and business users (as opposed to just reselling bandwidth) they too will be forced to accomodate a services model. Very few carriers are in it just for long haul only. Believe me, I understand the carrier infrastructure pretty darn well...and I understand their aspirations - just look around you. Why else would T be buying the MSO's? Why else would WCOM and MCI merge... not just to sell long haul bandwidth (ie resell bandwidth) - no, they want to sell services.... and to get customers the bandwidth will be an afterthought. Bandwidth cannot ultimately be free because Carriers have to invest billions to build and manage the network and they HAVE to recoup this investment. Pardon me for this somewhat personal attack but you are really dense. I pointed out and agreed that there is a cost to the carriers for the bandwidth..but how the recoup this cost will not be by selling bandwidth to users - it will be by selling services...and yes, the IXC's will also recoup some by reselling bandwidth to LEC's, and ISP's. Just because it costs $$$ to deploy and support "bandwidth" doesn't mean the only way to recoup that cost is by charging every user for access.... I'm puzzled as to why this is so hard for you to grasp. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree and perhaps we'll still be around to discuss this in a few years.... then we'll see. OG